


i want you for a lifetime

by bukkunkun



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: (don't worry nothing bad happens i swear), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Pirates of the Caribbean Fusion, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Anachronistic, Angst and Feels, Angst and Porn, Angsty Schmoop, Blood and Violence, Bottom Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Drunk Sex, F/M, First Time, Historical Inaccuracy, Inspired by Fanart, Kidnapping, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Magic, Non-Explicit Sex, Non-Linear Narrative, Recovered Memories, Time Skips, Uncle/Nephew Incest, Unrequited Lust, i realise these are huge ass spoilers but i gotta warn like a good boy, i think i'm not very good at researching the correct time period
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-05-26 11:48:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 25,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15000257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bukkunkun/pseuds/bukkunkun
Summary: He wondered why they bothered with all this, really, but he supposed that was how they would always start this. This was how theystartedit in the first place, anyway.“Captain Sora.” He tried to deadpan, but he knew he was smiling—unlike the time they had first met.“Evenin’,” the brunet pirate smirked back at him, “Misser Riku.”And then, depending on how much he’d miss him, Sora would kiss him right away.A pirate and a nobleman's star-crossed romance, and a lifetime to spare.





	1. i want you for a lifetime

**Author's Note:**

> > A moment compiling all the complaining I did about the fucking pirate sora soriku fic, with added visual aids when I feel like it at the end! ⚡️ “fucking superb you funky little pirate”<https://t.co/ESiOXSJQrD>
>> 
>> — bukkun @ fucking superb you funky little xehanort (@trickscd) [21 June 2018](https://twitter.com/trickscd/status/1009800865954189314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> 
> hey y'all, welcome to my Unnecessarily Long Promo for a Fic That Won't Even Hit AO3 Until December, also known as my Obligatory Pirate Sora Fic Thanks to E3 2018. you can watch my spiral into madness through the tweets included in the embedded moment above.
> 
> I saw @canarywitch's (@braveheartriku's?) [art about pirate sora](https://twitter.com/braveheartriku/status/1006413704437555201) and then I went out of control because I'm apparently a disaster bisexual like that. a week (or more? i don't know how time works) later i come up with this. thank you for your patience, twitter friends.
> 
> I'd also like to give a shout-out to @blowingoffsteam on tumblr for [this amazing theory about Sora's necklace (and associated, linked posts about it)](https://steam-whistler-art.tumblr.com/post/172763120817/lets-talk-about-soras-necklace), which I now accept as a headcanon and implement in the fic! that was amazing, my dude. you've changed my life forever. thanks m8.

“The moon is beautiful tonight.” he breathed, and the next thing he knew, there was a hard press to the back of his neck, and he fell unconscious, right into a familiar pair of arms.

It was almost routine, really.

At irregular times over the few months he had been doing this, he would often find himself on the Excalibur, a magnificent ship of a relatively medium build, sailing through oceans under the blanket of stars with unfurled black sails darker than the night sky, or the bright, painful luminescence of the sun, with friendly white sails that blocked out its harshness with a friendly blanket of shade. There would be that odd, wondrous blade the good Captain carried with him pointed at his neck.

He wondered why they bothered with all this, really, but he supposed that was how they would always start this. This was how they _started_ it in the first place, anyway.

“Captain Sora.” He tried to deadpan, but he knew he was smiling—unlike the time they had first met.

“Evenin’,” the brunet pirate smirked back at him, “Misser Riku.”

And then, depending on how much he’d miss him, Sora would kiss him right away.

* * *

In the times Riku was at Port Royal, he felt like a bird trapped in a gilded cage. His father, the governor of the land, had set off on a voyage back to the Kingdom, and in his place, his uncle governed Port Royal.

His uncle, a silver-haired man like himself, was a man Riku could not stand being with.

Lord Ansem was a controlling man, one who became even more so when Riku’s childhood friend Kairi disappeared from Port Royal several years ago. Her father, a nobleman who shared his name, had been _devastated,_ and estranged himself from the world in his grief.

(Riku, however, could care less. If he was now a bird in a gilded cage, then Kairi had been a songbird strapped down and gagged in a small wooden jewellery box. He was glad she had made it out of there safely, freer than the wind and free to sing.)

Citing concern for his nephew and the heir to the family name, Ansem locked his nephew in their villa with him at all instances he could.

His attentions were relentless, his hovering presence a constant in Riku’s already monotonous life of a nobleman trapped in his own home, and Riku quickly grew to understand Kairi’s desperation to leave.

“Riku,” He would say, an unwanted hand on his shoulder, an unwanted stance inside an unwanted space, and Riku would dare to scoot away from him, if he could. “Surely you understand. You aren’t some skelpie-limmer, my boy—your father has groomed you into a most beautiful young man.”

A hand in his braided hair, another stroke to his shoulder.

“Never a hedge-creeper like old Ansem the Wise’s young woman. Who knows where she has gone? Why, she’s lost her mind.”

Riku bit his tongue and fought back a grimace.

“But not you. Never you, my beautiful, beautiful nephew.”

“Good evening,” Riku snapped when he had had enough, and whenever he hurried away, he made sure to do it quieter than the mice that scurried around their rafters.

Riku’s incarceration did little to decrease the amount of times he had been kidnapped—not just by the Excalibur's crew, but by other pirates who’d heard of Port Royal’s richest governor to date. There were raids on his own home, the parlours he would visit with his uncle for the soirées demanded by high society, and even the library he stole away to during them. The guards were corrupt, the police useless, and Riku grew well-acquainted with the burn of rope on his wrists, leering stares from filthy, scurvy-addled men, and the smell of fish and the ocean.

Yet somehow, with every kidnapping, Riku knew Sora would always come to save him.

He didn’t know how Sora did it, how he could manage to so quickly find out and intercept the vessel he was stowed on, but Riku could count the moments it took, from the moment some filthy, leering man played with his long, silver hair, to the familiar cannon blasts of the Excalibur’s might. One minute he was tied up and glaring down some pirate who thought he was more important than he realised, the next, he was free, standing in the middle of the deck surrounded by a hostaged crew, and a pirate captain on his knee in front of him, a hand out for him to take.

Sora grinned up at him, and always said the same thing.

“And for the Captain, only the greatest treasure aboard this vessel will do.”

* * *

Riku had asked, one time, why all this.

“Why… all this?” Sora echoed, stretching cat-like and practically purring. “What do you mean?”

Riku fiddled with the scratchy cotton of their blanket, and made a mental note to steal sheets from his villa before the next time they met.

“This,” he repeated, and gestured at their current state—their naked bodies curled up together under a blanket that did little to warm them, a crackling fire in the fireplace next to the staircase leading up to the Captain’s study. Their clothes littered the floor, and Sora leaned up, resting on his arm to inspect what Riku was gesturing at.

“This?” He asked, and looked down at Riku. “Um…” he scratched his cheek, and laughed nervously. “I missed you and got too excited to see you naked again?”

Riku laughed softly at that, and didn’t miss the way the pirate’s eyes softened on him.

“Not that.” Riku chuckled, “I mean… why do I always get kidnapped, and saved by you? Why don’t you ever fail?”

“Well…” Sora’s smile was crafty. Knowing, almost, and he rolled over to straddle Riku again. The older man shivered—the phantom memory of Sora’s strong hands holding his legs open, their hips joined and the line of pain from screaming his throat hoarse flared up at the simple action, and Riku knew Sora could feel his arousal rising again. Still, the pirate didn’t say anything about that, tactfully, and instead opted to kiss him.

The kiss was long, hard and slow, a sensual drag of their lips together, breaths mingling like fog in the bleak mornings of Port Royal, and Riku pulled Sora close to himself, kissing him back.

Before the kiss could escalate, Sora pulled back, and Riku could only stare at the way his lips were swollen, shiny and wet from their kiss. The brunet snickered, and casually twirled a lock of Riku’s hair between his fingers.

“You’re so beautiful, Riku.” He purred, “And I will _always_ find you.” He pressed their foreheads together with a sigh, and Riku shut his eyes, relishing the moment as Sora laced their fingers together. “We have something special—and I’ll always find a way.”

“Something special.” Riku smiled slightly, opening his eyes to look up at Sora with a raised eyebrow. “Is that what you tell all your pretty little captives when you have them under you like this?”

Sora laughed, a beautiful, full bodied laugh, and Riku would swear up and down that it was more intoxicating than any wine Ansem tried having him drink.

“I’ve never taken anyone except you.” He said softly, and pecked Riku’s lips, just once. “But it’s kinda nice hearing that you think I’m attractive enough to sleep around.”

“But you a—” Riku wanted to tell him he was—how beautiful he thought Sora was, wild and free, but Sora rolled his hips against his, and his words dissolved into a moan.

“Oh, between the two of us, I think it would be _you_ that’s had more lovers.” Sora smirked. “You should really see the way you look right now.”

“Red as a beet. Sweaty.” Riku deadpanned, and the pirate laughed again. The older man rolled his eyes, and pulled Sora down to kiss him again. “What do you mean, though?” He murmured against Sora’s lips. “What do you mean by we have something special?”

Sora pulled away from him, and Riku’s heart sank slightly when he saw a tinge of melancholy in his eyes. His smile wasn’t quite as radiant, and his hand squeezed Riku’s in his.

“An unbreakable connection,” He said, and kissed him again, reaching down to coax Riku’s body to open up to him again.

* * *

His trysts with Sora began as one wouldn’t expect between a nobleman and a pirate.

Riku stole away from another soirée that fated night to sneak into the library, where a kindly old man—the caretaker—had agreed to let Riku stay, despite closing hours steadily approaching.

Of course, Riku was no fool—he knew it was dangerous to head out, the prime target he was, but anywhere was better than facing the chance of a tête–à–tête with his likely inebriated uncle, or societal peers. He brought with him a knife to make himself feel safer, but he knew his limits: trained in the art of fencing, Riku had more luck with a sword than a knife, but a rapier would be harder to stow than a tiny knife nabbed from the kitchens.

Fate had an odd way of working, sometimes. The pirate raid on the library wasn’t for him, but some pirates that were there had spotted him, and decided to change targets on the fly. Riku only had the knife with him, and a copy of _Great Expectations_ in his other hand, and the first thing he did before the books went flying was to send the good old Dickens straight into an unsuspecting bastard’s face.

And then the brawl began.

Riku was by no means defenseless—if anything, he himself had sent his uncle falling flat on the training mats, but that was with a foil and in the middle of a brightly-lit training room, where both combatants fought fairly. Now, stuck with only a one-edged knife and inside a dark, crumbling library, Riku wasn’t quite sure on the odds of survival.

A hand grabbed his shoulder, and he whirled around, his heart leaping into his throat when a dagger was suddenly brought up close to his cheek.

“There you are, pretty!” The pirate smelled like sea bream, and the stench of tobacco wafted from his dirty mouth, and Riku winced as he was suddenly pulled close to the unkempt man. He knocked the knife out of Riku’s hands, and laughed lowly, roughly pulling off the hair tie in Riku’s hair and undoing the braid his childhood nursemaid had made. “Yer’ such a valuable little target, Mister Riku,” He drawled, and held the knife’s tip right at a Riku’s jugular. “A right rich daddy and uncle, and worth a good fortune—but, my pretty, y’are be a lovely little treasure by yerself.”

Riku bit his tongue to keep himself from snapping back. Again, with the harassment. As if he didn’t get enough from the sailors that unloaded cargo whenever his father came home from England.

“You’re right about one thing,” a new voice said, and Riku’s eyes widened when a beam of light knocked the dagger out of the man’s hand. “He’s a treasure worth more than anything in the world.”

Riku didn’t hesitate for a moment—immediately he kneed the man in the gut, pulling away before he fell over, and he whirled around to look at the newcomer.

A young brunet blinked at him, beautiful deep blue eyes wide in surprise, and Riku couldn’t help but relax slightly.

He didn’t know why—but the sight of that dirty young man seemed to put his heart at ease. Like he had finally found something he’d lost a long, long time ago.

Odd—he’d never even met the man before.

In the brunet’s hand was a strange-looking sword, and Riku tried not to show his wince when he spotted the branded P on his hand’s dorsum.

“Pirate,” He breathed, but he made no move when the brunet approached him. Riku swallowed past a lump that had formed in his throat, and took a shaky breath as the young man came to a stop in front of him. “You’re… a pirate.”

The pirate gave him a sad sort of smile.

“I’ve finally found you,” He said softly. “Riku.”

Riku blinked at him. It wasn’t odd for people to know him, but the breathlessness in the young man’s voice felt so… odd. So _familiar._

He tried to search his mind for an answer—

_But who was that man, really?_

“I-I beg your pardon,” Riku began, “Who are you, again?”

There was a beat of silence, and Riku watched the young man frown slightly. Like that, Riku had to admit he was rather handsome, the curve of his jaw not too chiseled, and even hinted at a sort of youth that seemed timelessly permanent.

Like a fairytale boy trapped in a fairytale land where time didn’t move, and Riku found himself wondering what the taste of a star-shaped fruit felt like against rough, seafoam-kissed lips.

“Sora.” The brunet replied, while Riku reeled from the realisation. “I’m the captain of a ship called the Excalibur.”

Riku’s eyes widened at that. “The Excalibur?” He breathed.

That ship was notoriously known all throughout Port Royal—it was noticeably tinier than many pirate vessels that roamed the Caribbean, but it was faster, and far deadlier than any single one of them. If the rumours were to be believed, the ship was manned by only its young captain and his crew of three, through some unspeakable magic that seemed to only rival the myth of Calypso. It was said the sea obeyed his command, and that storms served only him, and it was all thanks to that odd, wondrous blade he carried with him, a mysterious thing that only ever seemed to obey him, that only he could wield.

Riku blinked down at the young man in front of him—Captain Sora, of the famed ship Excalibur, the young man said to command the sea like he was her son itself.

“You’re…” He struggled to think of what to say, “Smaller than I expected.”

The good Captain suddenly burst out laughing, bright, beautiful peals of laughter like the ringing of bells, and the whole place seemed to _glow_ because of it. His sapphires of eyes lit up with so much mirth that it made Riku’s chest tight to see him like that, and he hid his laughter behind his branded hand. The sight of it made Riku sober up slightly, but his reaction didn’t deter the young man’s laughter any.

“Oh, only _you_ would say something like that.” Sora said warmly, and before Riku could say anything, Sora pressed a rapier into his hand. “But for now, we’re not out of trouble yet. C’mon, Riku, we’d better get you out of here.”

“Wait—” Riku began, but Sora hushed him. He made a move to speak again, when a new group of pirates rushed into the room. Sora gave him a grin, and Riku couldn’t help but smirk back, settling into a ready stance behind Sora as if it was second nature.

Sora whistled. “Fancy.” He said, settling down into a low stance with his own blade.

“Unfortunately, I’m one of those posh dandies who grew up learning this,” he drawled, watching carefully how many people hurried into the room. One, two, three on his side, another two on Sora’s. “Maybe if my sword was a little heavier, I’d take a stance not too different from yours.”

“You wouldn’t.” Sora said, and peered at his raised arm. “Hey, could you try switching your sword arm position?”

Riku raised an eyebrow at him, and Sora shrugged. “Just give it a go.”

“What’re you two mutterin’ about there?” A pirate demanded.

“Don’t kill anyone,” Sora said, and Riku nodded.

As Sora had said, he raised his sword arm to hold his rapier near head-level, and he held his free arm forward, shifting his feet from the en-garde stance. Almost on muscle memory, his arms locked into a comfortable, familiar stance, and he blinked in alarm.

“Huh?”

“Let’s go.” Sora said, and before Riku’s mind could catch up, his body leapt forward as Sora had as well.

There were no rules here. No judge, or referee, watching his position, the way he moved his blade. There was nothing that said he could only thrust his rapier into his opponent, and there was nothing that said his opponent couldn’t cut him down with his cutlass or hook.

He cartwheeled out of the way of the first blow, and cartwheeled again away from a second. With a huff of effort, Riku turned around on his hand to kick the third pirate in the chest, using the momentum to lever himself off the ground, and he thrust the rapier at another pirate’s hand, forcing him to drop his sword at the cost of the tips of two of his fingers. He let out a scream, and Riku kicked him in the chest to send him flying down a nearby staircase, and across the room, he heard Sora’s voice.

“I said, don’t kill anyone, Riku!” He laughed, but he, too, knocked someone out the window. Riku rolled his eyes, smirking, and turned to the two pirates he had left, flicking his hair over his shoulder and already regretting not tying it up again.

“For some dandy, ‘yer a tough one.” the one still mostly unharmed said.

“There’s more where that came from.” Riku said, and raised his sword again in a ready position. “En garde.”

He let the pirates surge forward first—a common mistake for those lacking formal training or experience, and he easily parried their blows, before thrusting his rapier at their wrists. The pirate Riku had kicked dropped his cutlass, but the other one didn’t, recovering quickly to swing at him again with his sword, but Riku quickly grabbed the disarmed pirate and used him as a shield.

The other pirate’s cutlass dug into the man’s shoulder, and he screamed in pain. Riku flinched as some of his blood landed on him, but he didn’t have time to complain, instead shoving the man aside and using their shock to his advantage, turning his blade to ram the handle into the other man’s gut. The both of them crumbled to the ground, and Riku quickly kicked their weapons out of reach before heading to Sora’s side, where he had just finished binding an unconscious pirate to a pillar.

“Captain?” Riku ventured, and Sora turned to look at him, before lighting up.

“Riku! Hi!” he said, and much to Riku’s shock, his blade simply disappeared into sparks of light in his hands. “Great job there, knew you could do it.”

Instinctively, Riku raised his blade at him, back in the classic en garde position, expression fierce. Sora, somehow, still stayed smiling at him.

“No funny business,” Riku said, “Are you here to take me, too?”

“That’s the idea, yeah.” He nodded, still unbothered by the rapier pointed right at his throat. “Don’t tell me you wanna fight?”

“You wouldn’t like my riposte.” He replied, and Sora’s smile widened.

“I don’t.” He replied, and scratched his cheek. “Or maybe I do? I’m not too sure anymore.”

Riku blinked at him in confusion, but Sora laughed, shaking his head.

“Oh, never mind.” He looked at someone over Riku’s shoulder, and smiled wider. “You know, Riku, someone missed you.”

Riku shot him a suspicious look, but he peered over his shoulder. He gasped when he saw familiar red hair bundled up in a messy bun.

“Kairi!” He dropped his sword to meet her halfway, hugging his childhood friend in a tight embrace, lifting her off the ground and spinning her.

“Riku! It’s been so long!” Kairi’s voice was muffled in the crook of his neck, but he didn’t care. He’d missed her, and he’d been so worried about her ever since she disappeared from her father’s home. He put her back down on her feet, and he pulled away from her, holding her shoulders to look her over properly.

She was in one of her old dresses—or at least, it _looked_ like one of her old dresses, if it was tattered and sewn up over and over again from tears and holes in it. A cutlass was haphazardly strapped to her side and a pistol holster was sewn into the hem of her corset. She had a scar on her cheek and dirt on her forehead under her bangs, and her hair was a little longer than the last time he saw her, though he wasn’t quite sure _how_ long it was, with it up in a messy bun.

“You’re looking great.” Kairi said warmly, and Riku couldn’t help the overflow of joy from his heart that spilled from his eyes. She softened up at that, and wiped at his cheeks with sooty thumbs.

“Mrs. Potts is going to be _livid_ if she sees your dress like that.” Riku laughed, and Kairi giggled softly.

“She’s going to go absolutely _insane_ if she finds out the things I’ve been doing.”

“I’m things,” Sora said cheerfully from behind Riku, and Riku looked at him again, raising an eyebrow at him. Kairi burst out into laughter, bright and beautiful, and Riku felt affection swell in his chest.

Back then, still trapped under her father Ansem the Wise, Kairi could barely even _move_ so freely, and now, here she was, laughing and _living_ so vivaciously.

Oh, but hold on.

“What did you mean, ‘you’re things’?” He asked Sora, and the pirate snickered.

“Nevermind.” He winked at Kairi, and the girl continued to laugh. “So, you coming?” He offered Riku his hand, and the older man blinked at him.

“E-excuse… me?” He stammered, and Sora walked around him to hold Kairi’s hand, the two of them looking up at him expectantly, and Riku suddenly felt nauseous.

For a flash of a moment, he was standing on a sunny beach, a toy wooden sword in his hand and pouting down at two children, both begging him for an ice cream on a hot day. He faltered slightly, shaking his head as he held his temple, wincing.

“We can finally be free from Port Royal,” Kairi said, and Sora offered him his hand.

“We’ll go together.”

The image of a darkened beach, a starless night sky and the growing light of an opening door flashed through his mind, and Riku shook his head.

What was happening? Why all this?

“Riku?” Kairi deflated, and Riku shook his head.

“I-I… I can’t.” He said, “Even though I want to, I want to so _badly,_ I…” He looked at Sora, and felt the weight of an entirely different world reflected in his crystal blue eyes.

It was like gaining something, and losing it, all at the same time, and it left Riku breathless.

“I can’t leave Port Royal.” Every word felt like a shard of his broken heart digging into his throat, his lungs, his gut. “These people have been bleeding dry for as long as I’ve lived. In whatever way, however miniscule I want to help them, I—” he hesitated, but then pushed on. “I have to keep my father and uncle in check.”

“Then even just for a little while?” Sora said, “And I’ll bring you back for a generous amount of doubloons.”

The sudden talk about money startled Riku, and suddenly, he wasn’t in a strange, sunlit world with star-shaped fruits shared between smiling lips and magical swords in the image of keys.

He was the Governor’s son, a prisoner of Port Royale, and a prime target for pirates infesting its dark, dreary waters.

“Am I… just a walking money bag to you?” He asked, and Kairi glowered at Sora to reproach him.

“No.” the brunet shook his head, “You’re a means of getting back at Ansem for taxing the people of Port Royal dry,” he approached Riku, and lifted his chin. Riku blinked at him, and Sora gave him a disarming smile that despite everything, had Riku falling fast and _hard_.

“And,” He said, taking Riku’s hand and making sure the older man saw it, “You’re the crown jewel of the peninsula, a treasure worth far more than all the dead men’s chests of loot any pirate could ever steal.”

He kissed Riku’s knuckles, and stole his breath away as he gave Sora his answer.

“Then steal me away, Captain, and let’s milk my uncle’s riches dry.”

* * *

And so their life of cat-and-mouse began, Riku being a willing victim and Sora his all too pleased captor, stealing each other away by the moonlight, by the day, aggravating Ansem’s desperation to keep his nephew under lock and key.

Predictably, the man paid however large a ransom Sora demanded, and it still awed Riku how skilfully Sora could take him away and put him back, like nothing had happened. It was odd, really, how easily he agreed to all this, and he knew that once upon a time, in a villa not too far away, a younger Riku would have vehemently denied any involvement with a _pirate_ , of all people, but Sora fascinated him.

Sora pulled out so much emotion from him without him realising it, odd flashes of a life that he never had, of laughter and tears he’d never shared, and yet, onboard the Excalibur, Riku could never bring himself to ask Sora about it.

Sora’s tiny crew—Kairi, a small, grumpy silver-haired man named Donald, and an absent-minded gentle giant they nicknamed Goofy—manned the Excalibur surprisingly well, leaving Riku with nothing to do but to stand with Sora by the helm, and feel the wind in his hair as they sailed around the coasts of the Caribbean, waiting for Ansem’s answering pigeon for another round of ransom.

“What do you do with all the money?” He’d asked, one time, while the seas were still and Kairi was mopping the deck alongside Donald. Sora looked up at him from a compass he was holding, and before Riku could see what was inside, he snapped it shut. He shrugged.

“Stuff.” Was his simple answer, and Riku rolled his eyes. Still, he didn’t press Sora for answers—he’d long learned that Sora was picky about what he said and didn’t say to Riku, but Riku was patient. Someday, Sora would tell him.

He didn’t know why he trusted that idea so much, but somewhere deep in his heart, he knew. Somehow, he knew that Sora was someone he could trust his life with, someone he felt at ease around, despite having known him only through the stories Kairi would tell him at dinner, between rum-flavoured hiccups and giggles, while Donald and Goofy regaled him with their exploits while he wasn’t around. Riku had a pleasant time around Sora’s crew, but he often found himself peering over at the young captain, sitting by himself near the helm, chewing thoughtfully as he pretended he wasn’t watching them all eat together.

“He only does that when you’re around.” Kairi told him drunkenly one night, “Can’t figure out why for the life of me.”

Riku found himself gravitating to the young man more and more—firstly, out of curiosity, but another reason quickly reared its ugly head towards him, as his heart beat a little louder than necessary in his chest when Sora looked at him with a big grin on his face.

Of course, he had to admit—the pirate was charming. He had a handsome smile, a lovely face, and kind, crystal-clear eyes. He was a skilled swordsman, and had an awe-inspiring reputation. The Excalibur, after all, had sunk quite a fair amount of ships in its time terrorizing the sea, and his wondrous, wondrous sword—Donald and Goofy called it a Keyblade—was capable of amazing things.

Interestingly, when Sora fought, he spared all the lives he could. He made sure his crew followed his example as much as possible, though he was not one to shy away from finishing the deed if it meant saving his own life, or his crew members’ lives. Riku had been on the business end of several guns during his stay onboard the Excalibur, and during those times were the times where Riku thought he was watching not a man work, but a beast.

Focused, intense eyes that held no mercy, the speed of a lightning bolt, and the precision of a hawk. Sora was mercilessly ruthless when it came to Riku’s life in danger, and Riku kept up his end of the relationship, defending Sora whenever he could.

Of course, none of Sora’s crew nor Riku could match the power Sora held with his Keyblade, but they all tried their best. Donald’s position was in the crow’s nest, and Riku quickly learned he was a sharpshooter with vision far greater than everyone else on board. Goofy was their one-man cannoncrew, skillfully loading cannonballs alone than with Riku trying to help, and Kairi was their footsoldier, excellent on her feet, skilled with a sword in one hand, a gun in the other, and a dagger between her teeth.

Riku made himself comfortable with a rapier that Sora gave him, and he kept it onboard the ship rather than bringing it back to Port Royal with him. It was beautiful—the prettiest weapon onboard, Kairi had told him with no small amount of glee—with a sapphire pommel, and tiny cut diamonds following the lines the pas d’ane and guards made.

“It’s like an engagement ring, a-hyuck!” Goofy had commented once, and Sora’s cheeks turned pink.

The Captain didn’t say a word, immediately turning away, but Riku couldn’t stop the smile that crossed his face when he heard Goofy’s innocuous comment.

“Thank you,” he said, and Sora stopped walking. “It’s beautiful. I’ll take care of it.”

“You better,” Sora said without turning to look at him, “It’s my second most precious thing onboard.”

Second, he said.

Riku tried not to think about what could be the first.

* * *

The first time he saw what Sora’s crew was actually doing with the gold wasn’t on the Excalibur, but instead, in Port Royal itself. He almost jumped in shock when he saw Donald and Goofy walking around in the streets, but he himself was in disguise—Mrs. Potts and the rest of the household help let him sneak out of his family villa for the day, and Riku had wanted to go get himself a new book and hand a satchel of gold to the old man running the library as an apology for the mess the pirates made—and the library was _still_ fixing, months later. His uncle was doing nothing to help reparations, and Riku had managed to save up his own loot during his time with the Excalibur crew to help pay for whatever else the library needed.

He was on his way back to the villa when he saw them, and he decided to trail them, frowning in thought as he watched them head into the slums. Pulling his hood and cloak around himself tighter, he followed Donald and Goofy deeper into the streets, and his eyes widened when they came to a stop at a soup kitchen, where they handed a heavy satchel of doubloons over to the plump woman and her son running the establishment.

“Here you go, Miss Kanga,” Goofy said cheerfully, as Donald chatted with her son amicably. “Sora says hi.”

“Oh, Captain Sora, bless him.” She sighed, pressing a hand to her heart. “Will it be the usual, then?”

“Yep,” Goofy nodded, and the woman nodded in agreement. “Gawrsh, you guys seem to be doing great.”

“We are!” Kanga nodded pleasantly, “Thanks to your help. Tell me, dear, how are things? The help you’ve been giving to even Doctor Maurice has been going a long way, too. Things must be going well for you!”

“We’ve got someone helping us this time!” Donald chimed in, after Roo went bouncing away into the kitchens, a new piece of candy in his mouth. He leaned closer conspiratorially to Kanga, a hand cupped over his mouth. “The Governor’s son, Mister Riku? He’s helping us with the gold!”

“Oh! Is he?” Kanga sighed in relief, smiling warmly. “I’m glad. Many of the folks around here have been worried about him since the Governor went away—his uncle is no better! I just hope the poor dear is doing alright.” She shook her head, sweeping her hair over her shoulder. “Though I suppose with Captain Sora looking after him, he is in good hands.”

“Yeah! He’s the guy Sora likes, after all!” Goofy nodded, and Kanga giggled brightly.

“How charming!” She cooed, and Riku had had enough of eavesdropping. He turned around, hiding away into the shadows of the alleyways, his cheeks on fire.

Sora liked him. Well, with all the dramatic flair he had in stealing Riku away or protecting him sort of gave it all away, and the sword he gave Riku—Goofy had said it was like an engagement ring.

Sora liked him, genuinely liked him, not in the way the other pirates wanted him, and while the realisation was shocking, all Riku could feel was a warmth settling in his gut, like this was a dream that had come true.

“You’ve… you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I don’t have to be.”

Riku jolted, and he whirled around to see Sora lounging on the wall of the alleyway, almost blocking his only way out, but he left a generous space to the side, as if offering Riku a way out if he wanted.

Riku’s cheeks grew darker, and he cursed his pale skin. “C-Captain.”

“Sora.” Sora said, nonchalantly examining a ring on his finger, but Riku realised his cheeks were also slightly darker than usual. “You can… you can call me Sora. Everyone else on the crew calls me that.”

“S-Sora.” Riku didn’t know why he felt like he missed saying Sora’s name like that.

“But you know,” Sora looked up at him, a wide grin on his face, and finally, Riku could see the impressive blush he sported on his face as well, despite the shade of the alleyway covering the both of them. “I-it’s a bit rude to eavesdrop on a conversation.”

Embarrassment flooded his chest, and Riku looked down at the ground, trying hard to keep his hands still, and not fiddling with his braid on his shoulder.

“W-well, you never did answer my questions when I gave them to you,” He said, and Sora seemed to flinch. “So naturally I got curious. I just…” He hesitated, trying to decide on what to say, before he gave up. “I won’t beat around the bush. You like me?”

Sora laughed sadly. “Thought that was pretty obvious.”

“But… you and Kairi? N-not that I would protest if you _are_ together, but—”

“It’s the open sea. People get horny.” Sora sighed, “No strings attached. Good fun.” He scratched his cheek nervously, and looked off to the side. “Riku, I’m sorry. I just—if I told you everything, I wouldn’t know where to stop.”

“Why can’t you tell me everything?”

Sora looked up at him, and asked softly, “Do you trust me? It’s okay if you don’t. The exit is right there, and we can drop all this and make it just a mutually beneficial relationship.” He stepped back away from Riku, and gestured at the way out of the dead end alley they were in. “I can’t tell you everything— _not yet_ —but…”

Curiosity’s itch was one someone with only the greatest fortitude could withstand. Riku didn’t know if he was blessed to be one of those people, but he swallowed nervously, and nodded.

“I do.” He said, and Sora smiled, timidly taking his hand. “More than anything. I don’t know why, I don’t know _how_ , but…” Sora’s eyes widened at his words, and his awe spurred Riku to keep going, “I feel like I trust you. I feel like…”

I feel like I should love you, I’ve always loved you, for so, so long.

“Whatever it is you wanna say,” Sora said nervously, “Could you just kiss me and get it over with?”

Riku snapped out of his trance, and laughed incredulously.

“Aye-eye, Captain.” He said, and leaned down to kiss him.

* * *

“Sora,” he gasped, pressing the brunet against the wall, and he could feel Sora grinning against his lips.

“Bed’s over there,” he murmured, “Didn’t rent out a room for noth— _whoa!_ ”

Riku pulled him along hurriedly, climbing on top of the bed, and Sora blinked at him in alarm when he lay back against the pillows, cheeks flushed and legs parted.

“U-uh, Riku?” He asked, and the older man looked away, embarrassed, as he pulled out his hair tie, letting his hair loose again. Acutely he was aware of the way Sora watched his hair spill out onto the dark sheets, and the way his eyes dilated at the sight of it. “Am I—am I missing something here?”

“I-it’s my first time,” Riku mumbled, and Sora blinked at him blankly. “So, please…” he pointedly spread his legs some more, and Sora swallowed nervously. “Go gently.”

“Um?”

Riku felt his blood heat up all the more, and he forced himself to say it.

“Fuck me, Sora.” He managed, and hid his mouth behind his hand, as Sora gaped at him. “You really _are_ a pirate, if you needed me to be that crass about it.”

Sora finally laughed, shaking his head fondly, and he crawled forward, straddling Riku with a warm smile on his face.

“I got it,” he said, kissing Riku’s forehead, lacing their fingers together with one hand as he ran his other down Riku’s chest slowly, sensually, and the nobleman shivered at the feel of liquid heat running down underneath Sora’s hand. “I’ll be gentle.”

Sora kissed him deeply, and heaven felt so, so very close like this.

* * *

And so the story went, of a pirate who kept on stealing his precious silver prince, sharing smiles pressed between the pages of days spent together under the stars, under towering waves and howling winds, underneath pouring rain or shining sun, underneath scratchy cotton sheets or stolen satin blankets. The sun chased after silver-lining storm clouds, as did a pirate cat chased after his nobleman mouse, and life went on beautifully for some time after that.

“Evenin’, Mister Riku.” Sora bowed at him, holding his hand out for Riku to take, and the older man laughed softly, taking Sora’s hand while Kairi, Donald and Goofy snickered at them. “To your quarters onboard the cruise ship Excalibur.”

“Ten-shun!” Kairi cheekily chimed, and she, Donald and Goofy stood to attention, giving the two men a salute. Sora laughed out loud at that, and quickly let go of Riku to pull on her cheeks, earning him bright peals of laughter from his friends. “Go on, go away! I know you wanna just stare into each other’s eyes or some bull like that.”

“Kairi!” Sora practically whined, and Riku couldn’t help but smile at the scene.

Ever since he and Sora deepened their relationship, Sora began to show more and more of himself to Riku. The cool, aloof master swordsman pirate who pillaged ships and held young heirs hostage melted away from Riku’s vision to be replaced by a stumbling, giggling boy, and somehow Riku fell for him even harder.

Sora’s optimism shone brighter than the sun, and the love and kindness he had for people knew no bounds. He risked life and limb setting free slave shipments, stealing treasure to provide for soup kitchens and charitable organisations.

Dinners were no longer held alone at the helm, but seated with them by the fire burning under the cooking pot, snickering and giggling alongside Kairi’s drunk stories and ruffling Donald’s feathers. Sora sat next to Riku, giggling into his shoulder, and Riku suddenly didn’t want to be anywhere else.

Goodbyes were whispered between lips pressed together through an open windowsill, and hellos echoed in the desperate way their names rolled off each other’s tongues as their lips brushed, their hands wandering each other’s bodies as clothes fell to the floor of the captain’s quarters.

Like tonight, as Sora’s name burst out of Riku’s mouth with a wave of laughter as the two of them tripped over a new chest in Sora’s room, the both of them tumbling down onto his bed now furnished with fresh, new sheets Riku stole from his family villa. The brunet’s face ended up buried in Riku’s chest, and after some time of squirming, the both of them managed to gain their bearings, and Sora was back on top of Riku, grinning widely.

“Hello, beautiful.” He hummed, and Riku rolled his eyes, pulling Sora down into a kiss to shut him up.

Sora’s laugh was more beautiful, he thought, swallowing it between their kiss as the pirate reached for the bedside table for their usual bottle of oil. He spread his legs wide under him, and Sora pulled away to grin wider.

“Eager tonight?”

“Missed you.” Riku replied, and Sora’s grin turned goofy. Riku laughed at that, pinching Sora’s cheek to earn him peals of laughter, and affection swelled in Riku’s heart. “Uncle was being insufferable lately. Something about how the local economy seems to be thriving quite well despite all the heavy taxes being levied.” He raised an eyebrow at Sora, who blushed a little deeper. “Wonder why that is.”

“Who knows.” He replied, blowing Riku a raspberry, and Riku kicked him in the side good-naturedly. “But what I _do_ know is I have a certain someone with me who needs a little blowing off the steam.”

“God, _yes._ ” Riku breathed, and kissed him again.

It had always worked this way, really. Like settling into a routine memorised by muscle and sinew, remembering a dance never learned, but never forgotten. Sometimes, it would be Sora underneath him, smiling so beautifully as he opened up easily to Riku’s fingers, arching his back gracefully with the elegance of swans, his sweet voice melting into sweet cries of Riku’s name. Sometimes, it would the other way around, kisses pressed into the skin of Riku’s calves and tender hands stroking his inner thighs while Sora’s fingers, slick and nimble, coaxed him open from behind.

Tonight Sora slid into Riku, a tiny hiss from grit teeth and Riku silenced him with a deep kiss, running his tongue over his gold tooth as Sora slowly pushed in, muffling the tiny sound of Riku’s desperate ‘yes’ against his lips.

The first of several in the night always started slow. The slide of their bodies together languid yet heated, and in the quiet, almost reverent moments where they waited for their bodies to adjust to the intrusion, Riku contented himself with looking into Sora’s eyes, relishing the feel of their hands laced together, their foreheads pressed together in tender affection.

He’d missed this, he wanted to say, mysterious as the feeling was, and wondered if the mysterious man he lay underneath would know anything about it.

For now, though, he was content with this, and if it meant a lifetime of living like this, of stealing and being stolen away, then so be it.

He trusted Sora with his life, with his heart—

He could wait. He would _always_ wait.

* * *

Sora wasn’t one to shower gifts on Riku, and Riku was grateful for the sentiment. He already had the same problem with suitors from high society back on Port Royal, and while he would’ve accepted anything Sora gave him, he was glad Sora didn’t add to the growing pile of _junk_ Riku had back at the Governor’s villa.

After all, Sora had only ever given him two gifts. One was the rapier, which he kept onboard the Excalibur, but the other one was much more subtle, the inconspicuous wedding ring to the extravagant engagement ring that was Riku’s rapier.

“Hey, Riku? I’ve got something I wanna show you.”

Riku sat up, blinking sleep out of his eyes as Sora climbed back into bed next to him, grinning widely. “What’s… huh?” What’s going on?”

“I wanna show you something,” Sora repeated, brushing Riku’s long bangs out of his eyes, and the older man blinked as he held out a small earring. It was silver, and had a simplistic design of three circles, two smaller ones on top of a large circle, like ears. Riku blinked at it, and Sora gently put it on Riku’s left ear.

“What’s… this?” Riku mumbled, touching the pendant, and Sora beamed at him.

“It’s a way to find me.” He said, pressing their foreheads together. “Whenever you need me, all you have to do is to think of me, and my messenger pigeon will come find you.”

“Your… what?”

“The bird I use to send letters to your uncle.” Sora snickered, “If you ever wanna send me something—a note, maybe even a racy picture—”

At that, Riku smacked Sora upside the head, earning him peals of laughter. Riku couldn’t help but laugh along, smothering his snickering into their pillows as fondness swelled in his chest.

“The offer still stands, by the way.” Sora grinned, and Riku rolled his eyes. “But seriously—if you ever need me, I’m a messenger pigeon away.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that.” Riku chuckled. “Thanks, Sora.”

Sora nodded, and kissed him tenderly. “Just don’t forget—I’m _always_ with you.”

* * *

“This tomfoolery has been going on for far too long.” Ansem said sternly, peering at Riku over his glass of wine, and the young man met his gaze evenly, putting his fork down on the plate in front of him.

“What has?” Riku asked plainly, and the man’s eyes narrowed at him.

“The kidnappings. The ransoms.” He said, “You would think you would put up a better fight.”

“Wouldn’t you.” Riku muttered, and Ansem’s eyes narrowed further on him. The young man sighed, and sat back in his seat. “When you have a gun pointed at your head and only a book in your hands, _Uncle_ , I’d like to see you try standing up for yourself.”

Mostly a lie, that. Sora preferred Riku unconscious whenever he took him himself, though some other pirates who had taken Riku at some point had some kind of dangerous weapon held somewhere important. All he ever had while wandering around were normal objects one wouldn’t consider using as weapons—the occasional umbrella, a book, chinaware—and with the assurance that it would be Sora who would come to save him, Riku didn’t feel the need to worry as much.

The man grimaced, and he shook his head. “I told you, didn’t I? Never leave home, or the pirates will get you. What part of ‘never wander out’ do you not understand?” The man rubbed his temples, sighing. “You sneak out so frequently, like a criminal caught too many times. Is this place such a prison to you? What frivolous reason could you possibly have to leave home?”

Riku glowered at him. Extreme boredom was one reason, but there were more that were more pressing than that.

“I’m _trying_ to help Port Royal,” the young man shot back, “Unlike you, Uncle, I do actually try to see how the citizens’ lives are going. The very fact I have to sneak out beyond the staff’s knowledge to _talk to people_ says a _lot_ about what kind of an acting governor you are!”

Ansem seemed taken aback. “Where has this Riku come from?” He said coldly, “Don’t tell me those _pirates_ have been feeding you with nothing but stupid ideas! Their poverty is but a ruse, boy! A simple ploy to gain the sympathy of wide-eyed idealistic _boys_ like yourself—these people are nothing but lazy bums who refuse to work hard, expecting those in power to simply hand in everything for free!”

“Lazy?” Riku snapped, “The people of Port Royal are the most hardworking people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet! From dawn until dusk they’re out on the streets, slaving away under the sun, and all _you_ do is sit here and look pretty!”

And even then, he was only good at one of those things, but Riku held his tongue.

Ever since he boarded the Excalibur, something had been awakened in him. Being with Sora always made him feel like he was someone completely different, and while the thought should have been frightening him, now more than ever, Riku felt more like himself than ever before.

So many questions, he thought, and yet so little answers. He trusted Sora—but how much trust did it take to wait until things were too late?

“How _dare_ you?” Ansem snapped, getting up onto his feet, “You insolent child! These pirates—that godforsaken Captain Sora—they’ve poisoned you! They’ve utterly ruined you to the core!”

Riku got up onto his feet defiantly, a grin making its way to his face. “If being rotten means I get to do the job you nor my father does, then I might as well rot away completely.” He pushed aside his chair, and turned to leave. “This conversation is _over_.”

“Riku!” Ansem called after him, but Riku had already stormed away.

* * *

“No! Stop! Please!”

Utensils crashed to the floor, and delicate porcelain smashed against unforgiving cobblestone. Distantly, a baby began crying, but the bayonets remained pointed at Kanga, who was doing her best not to start crying, shielding Roo behind her, her hair a messy ponytail down her side, sticking to the blood that ran down from the cut on her cheek.

Her little boy was doing his best not to cry, as well, holding tight to a small key charm he had around his neck, and her heart sank as she thought back to the boy who started it all.

Sora had been a teenager when he started the life of a pirate, but he had started in the orphanage right next to her soup kitchen. Kanga had always been affectionate with children, but Sora held a special place in her heart, especially with the way he took care of Roo like a little brother.

Before he left for the sea, he left Roo with that small keepsake, and a promise to help out when he came back, and for all those years, Sora had never let them down—not once, not ever.

Though Sora himself never stepped foot on Port Royal, his crew was always there to extend his help, and Kanga swore she would _die_ first before ever ratting Sora out to the authorities.

Acting Governor Ansem stared her down, and next to him, the captain of the squadron kept his bayonet pointed right at her.

“You _will_ give me information on Captain Sora and the Excalibur.” He snarled, his eyes narrowing on her. “Else something simply… _unfortunate_ might happen to such a rickety little soup kitchen.”

Her eyes widened. “You wouldn’t dare, sir.” She gasped, “The children—the slums, they rely on this soup kitchen!”

“Simply an idea,” the man smirked. “Still, fires do quite well weeding out vermin. Rats, cockroaches… pirates.”

“I do not harbour pirates in my home!” She hissed, “Search it yourself, my _good sir,_ you will find no pirates here! Only my son and I, I swear it!”

The man leered at her, but backed off. “I don’t doubt that.” He said, “Captain Sora has never stepped foot onto Port Royal himself, I have heard.” Kanga kept a stony face defiantly, but he turned away from her, gesturing for his men to follow after him. The soldiers all trooped out after their Governor, and when the dust settled, Kanga finally crumbled, burying her face in her hands.

“Mama,” Roo said quietly, and held out Sora’s keepsake, “Should we—should we—”

“No.” She said shakily, pulling herself up onto her feet. “Governor Ansem can’t touch us.” she squeezed her hand into a fist over her heart, and looked out their door, unhinged and hanging off its rusty supports. “He knows he can’t—the people will revolt.”

“But Mama,” Roo protested, “You know what he thinks about Mister Riku.”

“I know.” Her voice quivered, as her hand did. “But he is not a fool. I _know_ he isn’t.”

* * *

That evening after his argument with his uncle, Riku looked out of his window petulantly, frowning.

He missed Sora. Ansem always drained his energy whenever they talked.

Suddenly, cooing came from beyond the window, and Riku jolted, turning to see Sora’s messenger pigeon perched on the ledge, blinking at him curiously. He gaped at it as it hopped into his bedroom, and made itself comfortable inside Riku’s fencing helmet.

He approached it cautiously, and wondered how it got there. How could it have known to come here, just as Riku was thinking about Sora?

It looked right at his ear, intently, and Riku’s hand shot up to touch the earring Sora gave him, still hanging there, innocuous and twinkling in the candlelight of his room.

His eyes widened, and the bird looked at him expectantly.

“C-can you ask Sora to come here?” He asked, nervous. “Could you do that?”

The bird bowed its head, and flew off. Riku watched it leave, his heart sinking, and he leant heavily against the windowsill.

Not half an hour later, the bird was back, and it had a small note tied to its leg.

“ _I’m upstairs on the roof._ ” Sora’s messy handwriting read, and Riku’s heart leapt to his throat. He peered up towards the roof, but he couldn’t see anything. Huffing determinedly, Riku climbed out of his window after making sure his door was securely locked. He made his way up the vines that grew along the side of the wall, and got on to the roof, where sure enough, Sora sat, eyes bright and luminous like a cat’s in the moonlight hanging over their heads.

For a moment, Riku hesitated, enchanted by the sight of Sora perched atop darkened red shingles, his chin on his fist as he stared out impassively over the skyline of Port Royal.

The moon cast a silver halo around his head, a crowning ring of light that made Sora look almost ethereal, despite the ratty state his clothes were in. He reminded Riku of a bored prince seated on a cold, unfeeling throne—the only sunlight in the middle of a cold monsoon storm, and a smile made its way to Riku’s lips when Sora’s eyes scanned the area—and finally landed on him.

The warm affection that simply _glowed_ in Sora’s expression made a rush of affection swell in Riku’s heart, and quickly he climbed up the rest of the way to join him on the roof, sitting down next to him on the shingles with a small huff.

“So, my prince,” Sora grinned at him, his tone mocking the posh accents of high society, and Riku laughed into his hand. Sora snickered alongside him, and took his hand to kiss his knuckles. “Why did you summon me?”

“I didn’t think it’d work, actually.” Riku said, “I know the messenger pigeon you use for Uncle homes in on you really well, but I didn’t think you’d actually show up if I asked you to.”

“And miss this,” he gestured at Riku’s loose white shirt, the laces under his chin undone, and his black pants, “Beautiful, beautiful man, and that sweet ass? No chance! No way!”

Riku hit him in the side playfully, and Sora laughed, kissing him sweetly. “Captain Sora never steps foot onto Port Royal, but I’d wager he would do it for a beauty like you.”

“Sure, butter me up all you want.” Riku rolled his eyes, and pinched Sora’s cheek, and the younger man giggled, but the two of them quickly sobered up when Riku laced their hands together with a content sigh. “I missed you.”

“We were together just last week.” Sora smiled, but he leaned against Riku’s side, cuddling close. “But I missed you too.”

“Hey, for tonight, um—” Riku hesitated, and Sora looked up at him, his head cocked curiously. “Tonight, can I come over to the Excalibur?” He managed, and Sora blinked. “N-not as a prisoner, but as… um…” He squeezed Sora’s hand, and blushed. “As your lover?”

Sora’s smile was so full of love, it made it hard to breathe. He leaned up to kiss Riku again, gently, and chuckled.

“You must be kidding me, Riku, did you really think I could say no?”

He pressed his hand over Riku’s eyes, and leaned up to whisper into his ear. “Close your eyes, and get up onto your feet. Dance with me.”

Riku nodded, closing his eyes without hesitation.

“You’re not scared?” Sora asked, and he could hear the smile in his voice as he helped Riku up onto his feet. Riku couldn’t stop the smile that crossed his face when he felt Sora’s hand on his waist, his other hand leading Riku’s to his shoulder, and Riku felt Sora lean against his chest with a content sigh.

“No.” Riku replied, “I trust you, more than anything.”

“More than anything.” Sora murmured, and pressed a kiss to Riku’s lips. “And one, two…”

The two of them settled into a slow waltz, pressed chest to chest, under the moonlit sky, and in a flash of light like rainbow-coloured flower petals dancing behind his eyelids, Riku felt the chilly wind and the earthy scent of his villa’s gardens sweep away over his skin. In its wake, the scent of the sea followed, the cold kiss of the breeze not a far cry from the cool wind from the roof, but now accompanied with the slightest spray of saltwater, and Sora cupped his hand over Riku’s cheek.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Riku did as he was told, and he realised he was on the Excalibur, right in the middle of the deck, with Kairi, Donald and Goofy nowhere in sight.

“Where are—what’s…”

“When a gentleman brings over pleasant company, he asks his friendly housemates to vacate the premises.” Sora winked at him, and Riku let out an incredulous laugh. “I don’t know what half those words mean.” he admitted, and Riku couldn’t help but kiss him senseless.

“You just told me that you told your crew to leave so we can fuck in peace.” Riku chuckled, and Sora snickered.

“Yep, sounds about right. Thank _god_ Donald and Kairi weren’t messing around this time.” Sora grinned, and Riku shook his head fondly. “And it’s not like they left, they’re on a dinghy tethered to the boat, drinking rum and playing cards for a bit before dinner.”

They fell quiet, and Riku strained his ears to hear Kairi’s loud giggling several metres away.

“You guys…” he huffed, but he quickly sobered up when Sora kissed his hand.

“How will you have me tonight, Riku?” He purred, sending pleasurable tingles from his lips to Riku’s skin, and the older man shivered. “On my back, or on your lap?”

He couldn’t help but grin, and he turned his hand around to grasp Sora’s hand instead, pulling him close against his chest to earn him a small ‘ooh!’ from the pirate, before he firmly grasped Sora’s rear with a soft growl.

“Seduce me.” He said, and Sora swallowed nervously, though he had a wide grin on his face.

“Yes, sir.” He replied, an ironic echo of the naval officers after the bounty on his head, and Riku couldn’t help but laugh. The desire that had been clear in Sora’s eyes wavered somewhat, replaced instead with petulance, and his lips curled down in a pout. “Hey, I was _right there,_ Riku!” He whined, and Riku kissed his nose fondly.

“Let’s not go there, alright?” He said, “Just… you just do you.”

Sora huffed, but he was already smiling again, and he nodded.

“As you wish,” he bowed with a flourish, and winked up at Riku. “Let’s go?”

“Lead the way, _Captain._ ” Riku smiled.

* * *

“Riku.” Ansem knocked on Riku’s door urgently, a scowl on his face. “ _Riku._ ”

“Master Ansem, please,” Mrs. Potts began, but he backhanded the old woman, earning screams from the household help as some of the younger maids helped her onto her feet and pulled her away from him.

“Riku!” He jostled the doorknob. “Open this door, this _instant!_ ”

No answer, and he growled, breaking it open.

He found not a single soul inside the room, and a wide open window.

His hands curled into fists, and he whirled around to address his staff.

“Fetch me the good Commodore.” He snarled, much to the shock of all who laid eyes on him. “I need to ask a favour of him—Port Royal could do with a little less _vermin_.”

* * *

“Riku,” Sora’s smile felt so _good_ against his skin, and Riku could feel himself practically melting at the sensation of his hands searching for his own, lacing their fingers again as if on instinct as Riku positioned himself over Sora. “Need you, please.”

He could smell the alcohol in Sora’s breath, the evidence of his and Kairi’s drinking game as they ate dinner after making love once. When they had finished, while Sora was cleaning himself up, Riku called the rest of the crew back for dinner and was greeted with hugs and bright cheers, but all he could notice was the way Sora smiled so softly at him, so tenderly, that it made his chest ache at even the memory of it. Dinner after that was filled with the usual bright laughter and joy, Sora curled up beside Riku as always, until Kairi had challenged her captain to a drinking game, and lost.

Now, back in his quarters, Sora was more than heavily drunk, but Riku had missed him, and with the way Sora had been incredibly handsy with him during dinner, Riku knew Sora wanted this as much as he did.

“Of course.” Riku chuckled softly, and he slid home, relishing in the pleased hiss that escaped Sora’s lips, and he kissed the pleasure off his lips with a swipe of his tongue. Sora leaned up to press their foreheads together, and Riku slid his eyes shut as he simply stayed still, trying to burn the memory of their union into his mind, in his body.

“I wish we could stay like this forever.” He breathed, and Sora laughed fondly.

“Me too.” He murmured, “But someday, this is all going to fall apart, I can feel it.”

Riku blinked down at him, and the pirate shook his head, kissing him tenderly.

“C’mon, Riku.” He said, his voice melting into a slurry slip of breath, “I’ve been waiting for this all week.”

Riku shook his head, and began to move.

* * *

“The soup kitchen, sir? But that would mean—” the two soldiers looked at each other nervously, but Ansem merely shook his head.

“We have reason to believe the owner of the establishment has involved herself with pirates,” he said, “Particularly, Captain Sora of the Excalibur.”

“Captain Sora!”

“The Excalibur!”

“The very pirate who’s terrorised Port Royal for long enough.” The man’s expression was steely, as he rested his hand on the table. “He’s stolen away my Riku for far too many times now, and I fear they’ve corrupted him in the time Captain Sora had him in his clutches.”

The soldiers looked amongst themselves.

Not Riku, they thought. First Ansem the Wise’s beautiful, kind daughter, and now, him—who is similarly as beautiful as he was cunning and kind.

They knew as well as many of the townsfolk in Port Royal—of the three men in power in Riku’s family, only Riku had shown any real compassion to its people, and quickly replaced Lady Kairi as Port Royal’s beacon of hope after she disappeared.

“We cannot let Captain Sora hurt Port Royal any longer.” Ansem continued, “Which is why, for the sake of its citizens, we _must_ torch down the soup kitchen.”

“But why the soup kitchen?” Someone asked, and Ansem turned to see the estranged nobleman himself, Ansem the Wise, step into the war room, his beard long as the time he spent in solitude out of grieving his lost daughter. “You know as well as most of us Captain Sora has not— _will not_ step foot on Port Royal, no matter the cost.”

“Oh, he _will_ come.” The Acting Governor Ansem smirked, “I know what kind of man he is—all of them have the same fatal weakness.”

His own nephew was the same, after all.

Wise raised an eyebrow at him.

“His heart is weak, for in his actions I can see he is a man who cares too much.” His smirk warped into a leer. “And _that_ is what will kill him.”

“If I shall not get to him first, that is, for stealing my own Kairi away from me.” Wise growled. “Very well. Whatever the repercussions, Governor, you will have my support. Should the townsfolk revolt, I will have the means to quell it.”

“I am in your debt, Lord Wise.” Ansem bowed lowly at the man, but the man shook his head.

“Quite the contrary, my good sir.” He said, “I thank you, Governor, for being the man to apprehend this _loathsome rat_ _._ ”

Ansem smirked. “It is but an honour.” He turned back to the soldiers, expression stern once more. “Onward, men! For Port Royal!”

“For Port Royal!” The platoon saluted him, and Ansem smirked darkly.

For _his_ Riku, and no one else’s.

And who knows—perhaps, when he served that Captain Sora’s head on a silver platter to Riku’s father, he could finally convince him to let him have Riku all to himself.

* * *

Sated, exhausted but happy, Riku rolled over in bed to watch Sora look down at his compass with warm eyes, his calloused fingers gently caressing the side, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of it. Sora looked at him, and smiled, snapping the compass shut as he shuffled back down into bed properly, snuggling close to Riku.

“I’m really, really happy.” He admitted quietly. “I really don’t want this to end.”

“It doesn’t have to.” Riku said, but Sora shook his head. “Sora,” He paused, and his lips pulled up into a smirk. “Giving up already?”

An ironic echo to a memory he didn’t know he had, and yet somehow his heart clung onto it desperately, like as if it was the last thing he wanted to forget.

Sora’s eyes widened, and a tear rolled down his cheek.

“Get real,” he said shakily, “Look at which of—” He shook his head, and buried his face in his hands. Riku’s heart shot to his throat, and he quickly pulled Sora into his arms, panting heavily.

What was going on? Why was Sora like this?

“Riku, Riku,” he whimpered softly, drunkenly, “I wish I could tell you everything, but the last time I did I lost you. I don’t wanna lose you again.”

Riku looked down at the sobbing pirate, shock stunning him into silence. What was Sora going on about? He’d lost him before?

“Sora?” Riku ventured, but Sora shook his head before he kissed him deeply.

“Hey, Riku,” his eyes were unfocused, and he took Riku’s hand, pulling it behind himself, back to where Riku had been in not too long ago. The older man’s eyes widened, and Sora leaned into the crook of his neck, panting softly. “Please, again?”

“Sora…” Riku deflated, and Sora squeezed his wrist desperately.

“It’s not fair, you know, that only you could forget.” He whined, “So for now, make me forget too.”

Riku’s expression tightened.

More questions, than answers. Sober, Sora would never have been able to tell him this much, and something painful stirred in Riku’s chest to think about it.

It was frustrating, and Riku could feel _too late_ beginning to rear its ugly head.

* * *

There were screams in the slums of Port Royal, and a small, rickety building burned on. Trapped in an inferno impossible to escape, a little girl and her older brother wept, holding on to each other in a vain attempt to placate each other before painful, searing death took them.

On the cold, unfeeling cobblestone ground of the streets, countless more children wept into the arms of scraggly caretakers, and a mother and her son sat next to each other, holding tight, as they watched their home and the next-door orphanage burn down.

Decades’ worth of memories, of joy and strife, of Sora’s childhood home and the community he swore to support, turning into smoke.

“So Governor Ansem _was_ a fool,” Kanga said shakily, and her son looked up at her, wide-eyed, tear tracks marring the soot on his cheeks.

“Mama,” he said shakily, “We have to… we gotta…” He lifted Sora’s keepsake up to her, and she deflated at the sight of its broken leather strap. The knot had burned off on his and Kanga’s escape from the building, and the sight of it didn’t help the hope that was steadily dwindling in her heart.

“You’re right.” She nodded, and curled her fist around the small key, her hand shaking.

“We need to tell him.” She said, and snapped the key in half.

* * *

Sora jolted, slapping his hand over his mouth as he collapsed against the side of his cupboard, and Donald let out a screech of alarm. Goofy was quick to drop the bucket of water he was holding to the ground, spilling it across polished wooden floors, alerting Kairi above them as he hurried to his captain’s side, supporting him with his body.

“What’s going on?” Kairi hurried into Sora’s study, and the brunet laughed bitterly, pulling away his hand from his mouth to show them blood. She gasped slightly, and cupped his face in her hand. “What happened? Are you sick?”

“There’s trouble in Port Royal.” He said, and he headed outside. His crew followed after him into the cold night air, Kairi shivering slightly at the sudden change in temperature. Sora came to a sudden stop in the middle of the deck, the Excalibur’s black sails casting shadows over him like a looming storm cloud, and she slowed down in confusion.

“Sora?” she asked, tracing Sora’s line of sight to look at what he was looking at, and she gasped in shock, clapping her hands over her mouth as her eyes landed on it.

“What’s going on?” Donald demanded, Goofy on his heels, and the two men also gasped at the sight before them.

In the far distance, a familiar portion of Port Royal burned down, and Sora pressed his bloodstained hand to his chest, smearing blood on his silver crown necklace.

“Hell,” He said, and swept back towards his study. “I’ll take care of this. Make sure Riku doesn’t find out.”

“But Sora—” Kairi began, but Sora shook his head, smiling at her sadly.

“You know what he’s like. He’ll think this was all his fault.”

“Well,” Donald frowned slightly, and crossed his arms. “It _kinda_ is.”

Goofy nudged the man’s side, and Sora laughed bitterly.

“No, actually—he’s right. It’s _both_ of us, we’re at fault here.”

“Sora,” Kairi sighed, and she stepped forward to hug him tightly. “Really, what’s going on? My memories are still hazy, but I know there’s more to this than just Port Royal.”

Sora cupped her cheek in his hand tenderly. “You at least remember what happens when Riku starts remembering things, right?”

Her eyes widened. “Things… fall apart.”

He nodded. “Exactly. Soon, we won’t be able to talk like this anymore.”

“M-maybe this time it’ll be different, m-maybe it won’t end up the same way as before—”

He kissed her softly, just once, just gently, and she fell quiet.

“You know that’s not the case.” He said, “It’s okay, I’ve made peace with it. I just—” he took a deep breath, and looked out at the burning city. “It’s a fool’s wish to think we could ever escape this, so I’m just glad I was happy while it lasted.”

Kairi’s hand fell to her side, and Sora turned around, opening a portal of light in front of him.

“If he wants to go back, let him. Take the Excalibur back to port, and when you do, you run.”

“Sora—” Donald began, but the brunet shook his head.

“The end is coming. At the very least—” he turned to grin at them over his shoulder, wide and sunny, and it somehow, despite everything, the fact that Sora could still smile at them like that made their hearts ache for him. “A pirate captain always goes down first before his crew.”

“Oh, Sora!” the three of them crowded him, hugging him tight, and he hugged his crew tighter, trying hard not to cry.

“It’s gonna hurt,” he said meekly, and Goofy rubbed his back. “But it’ll only be for a while.” He pulled away from them, grinned widely again. “This is it, guys. The end of the Excalibur.”

“Yeah,” Kairi nodded, her voice shaking, but she steeled herself, despite the tears welling in her eyes. “Alright, men—ten-shun!”

She, Donald and Goofy stood to attention, and Sora laughed weakly, giving them a salute back.

“I’ll see you in the next life, guys.” He said, and stepped through.

* * *

It hadn’t been a quarter of an hour after Kanga had snapped the keepsake when the fire suddenly died, and the brunette woman’s eyes widened when she saw Sora himself emerging from the fire, holding the hand of a trembling little boy and carrying his little sister in his other arm. The Keyblade—that magical, mystical weapon—was attached to his back like an axe would, and he gave Kanga his familiar warm smile.

“They thought they’d been left for dead,” he said, and he gave the little girl back to her brother. Immediately the boy ran to the orphanage caretaker, and their little group collectively burst into tears in relief. Sora’s smile was sad as he watched them, but he jumped when Kanga and Roo hurried up to him, pulling him into a grateful hug.

“Oh, Sora!” She sighed in relief, “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Sora…” Roo buried his face into Sora’s shirt, and the pirate smiled, stroking the boy’s hair.

“We wouldn’t tell Governor Ansem where you’d been, he’ll go right after you!”

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I?” Sora ginned at Kanga, and her eyes widened in shock. “If it’s me he’s looking for, he’s got his guy.”

“How _glad_ I am to hear that.” Ansem drawled, and Kanga and Roo stiffened up in Sora’s embrace. Sora gently pulled them aside, and stepped out between them to face the man with a confident smile on his face.

He didn’t hold out his wrists for Ansem to take—he wouldn’t give the man the satisfaction, but instead, he opted to leave his hands as they are, resting on his hips in a defiant stance.

“Acting Governor Ansem himself.” He smiled, though his voice held none of the warmth he reserved for his loved ones. “It’s an _honour._ ”

“Honour. What could your lot possibly know about _honour_?” The man scoffed, “Giving yourself up already?”

“Well, I’ve been in prison before,” Sora said cheerfully, showing him the brand on his hand. “Though at the time, you didn’t know who it was you had in your prison, did you?”

“Unfortunate, really.” Ansem replied flatly, and jerked his head at the soldiers behind him. “Take him away.”

“Whoa, a bit hasty?” Sora laughed easily, holding his hands up defensively, and Ansem glowered at him. “Shouldn’t you be worrying about someone right now?”

Realisation sunk into him quickly, and Ansem practically _burst_ with anger.

“What have you done with my nephew?” He snarled, surging forward to grab Sora by his collar. Sora remained grinning at him, and Ansem shook the brunet, tossing him to the ground. “I _will_ make you pay.”

“I dunno, guv,” he said, still cheerfully as he pulled himself up onto his feet. “From what I could tell, Riku was having a swell old time when he was hanging out with me.”

“Lock this scoundrel away.” Ansem snarled, as Sora grinned at the soldiers about to tie him up. “There’s no need for a trial for this one—and wheedle out what you can about his infernal crew.”

“Have you ever considered the possibility that Riku’s part of us now?” Sora asked, sing-song, and Ansem _froze._ “Or do you still cling onto the illusion that your _precious_ nephew can do no wrong?”

“You _liar_.” Ansem snapped, “You filthy, impudent little _liar_.”

Sora simply shrugged, and turned to the soldiers around him. “Keep the face pretty—the hanging will be more fun that way.” He said, and the gaped at him. “What? I know it’s coming.” He pouted, “C’mon, get me outta here. I don’t like breathing the same air as that _creep_.”

“Sora,” Kanga breathed, but he gave her a huge smile, and followed the soldiers walking away. Ansem turned to the mother and son, and shot them both a smarmy smile.

“Thank you for your service.” He drawled, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Here’s some doubloons for your role in the capture of Captain Sora.” He threw a tattered bag of coins at her knees, and strode away after the soldiers, not once looking back.

Kanga looked down at the bag, and tears welled in her eyes.

“Oh, Sora.” She sighed, hugging her son close, “We’re so, so sorry…”

“Mister Riku,” Roo said, and her eyes widened. “Maybe… maybe Mister Riku can help.”

“You’re right.” She breathed, and pulled away from her son to hold his face in her hands. “I’ll head to the Governor’s villa at once. Stay here with the children, Roo, they’re counting on you.”

The boy nodded, handing his mother his broken keepsake, and hurried off to where the orphans were gathered. Kanga took a shaky breath, pulling herself up onto her feet, and gathered her skirts about her.

“Please, Mister Riku…” She looked up at the Governor’s villa pleadingly. “You’re our only hope.”

* * *

“Where is he? What’s going on?”

“There’s no time to explain,” Kairi grit her teeth as she ushered Riku along the alleyways of Port Royal. “We’ve gotta head back to your villa before anyone sees us.”

“But where’s Sora?” Riku demanded, tugging on Kairi’s hand, and she came to a stop, unable since childhood to withstand the force of Riku’s strength. She turned around, and looked at him with sad eyes. Riku looked at her pleadingly, and squeezed her hand. “Tell me what’s going on. Where’s Sora? What do you mean I can’t be with you guys anymore?”

Kairi bit her lip, and she shook her head. “I’m sorry, Riku, but Sora made me promise not to say anything.” She tugged on his hand, and together, they kept on running. “I hope…” She hesitated, and Riku’s heart fell at the sight of her like this, “I hope he’ll come back to you to tell you everything. I don’t know if he’s given up or not, but I’d like to think, at least for the last time, he would come back to you, and tell you everything, before it all goes to hell.”

“All goes to hell?” Riku echoed, shocked, as they came to a stop at the backdoor of the villa, a place so familiar to their shared childhood, where he and Kairi always stole away to, to play on the shores not to far from the villa’s walls. “Kairi, what do you mean?”

“Soon, things are going to fall apart.” She turned around to look at him, eyes wet with tears. “Riku, what do you remember?”

“What do I… remember?” He breathed, looking down at his hands, as Kairi continued.

“You’ve gotta be remembering stuff, right? The way you fight told me you do.” She gingerly rubbed her arm, and Riku’s eyes widened.

That was right—the first time he and Sora met, Sora had made him change his sword stance. Instead of what he had learned growing up fencing, his body made him raise his sword near his head, and his other arm outstretched towards his opponent. He’d never seen that style anywhere else, and he knew no one else did it, but there he was, fighting better than ever before, using a style he’d never learned in his life, but his body seemed to remember.

“I’ve been… seeing things.” He admitted, and sheer _hope_ surged in her eyes. “Flashes of things. I thought they were just… stuff, but…”

“That’s… that’s great.” She sighed, nodding tearfully. “I’m really glad, Riku.” She kissed him on the cheek, and gave him a hug. Sighing, he hugged her back tightly, and kissed her hair. “But I gotta go. Donald and Goofy have already left, too, there’s nowhere for us to run.”

“Kairi…”

“We’re pirates, Riku.” she smiled sadly, “Romanticised our lives may be, but the truth is it’s really not that great. We could only get so far with just the four of us, and it’s all thanks to Sora and his Keyblade.”

“The Keyblade…” Riku frowned. “What _is_ it, anyway?”

“I don’t know, either.” Kairi laughed, though without mirth, shaking her head. “But from what I can remember, you had one too.”

“What?” Riku blinked, but the crash of something above their heads made the both of them jump. Kairi stiffened up, and quickly rammed her fist against door rapidly. Riku jolted, and grabbed her hand to stop her, but she pulled away before he could.

“Go! Before we’re spotted.” She hissed.

“Kairi, wait—”

She hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss to his temple, and she suddenly bolted away. Riku made a move to follow her, when the door opened. His eyes widened to see household staff standing there, relief palpable on their faces.

“Master Riku!” They gasped, “Thank goodness you’re home! Please, you _must_ placate the master!”

“Wh-what?” Riku stammered, as he was ushered inside, “What’s going on?”

“Master Ansem,” a mousy young maid said, “He hit Mrs. Potts, and ordered soldiers to set the soup kitchen on fire!”

Riku’s blood went cold with shock. “He… he _what?_ ”

Much to his surprise, Kanga strode out from between the maids and the butlers worriedly gathered around him, teary-eyed, and covered in soot. His eyes widened, and he hurried up to her, grasping her elbows gently as she held up a broken silver key-shaped keepsake for him to see.

“Mister Riku, please…” she said quietly, “My home, the city orphanage… they’ve burned down.” her lip quivered as she pressed the keepsake into Riku’s hand. “Because I—because I—” she sobbed quietly, and Riku pulled her into his arms to rub her back comfortingly, unmindful of the soot getting on his clothes. “I didn’t want to give Sora up,” she whispered into his ear, and his eyes widened. “But he burned us down to lure him out and capture him.”

“He what?” Riku gaped at her, pulling away from her in horror. “But that means—he—”

Kanga nodded. “Sora’s in the city jail. Set to be hanged, but I don’t know when.”

Riku’s expression hardened, and he squeezed the keepsake in his fist. “I’m going to have a word with my uncle.” He declared, and stormed away.

* * *

All of this was his fault. His fault, and his alone. His selfishness of wanting to see Sora again, his stupid, careless whims that put so many people in danger thanks to his aggravated uncle finally hurt innocent people—hell, _it burned two homes down._

What had he been doing this for? At the beginning, it had been for Port Royal—he wanted to get back at his uncle for taxing the city dry, to return the money so unfairly taken from the already desperately poor population.

Then, his _feelings_ came into the mix. Suddenly, he wasn’t letting himself kidnapped out of his duty to Port Royal, and instead because he simply wanted to see Sora again, and look what that did to him. To Port Royal.

Riku’s hand squeezed the keepsake, hard enough to almost draw blood, as he came to a stop at Ansem’s study’s door.

All of this—Kanga’s home burning down, orphans, losing their home, the Excalibur’s crew, scattered to the winds, _Sora, in prison_ —

“Uncle.”

All of it was his fault, and he was going to do something to fix it.

He stood in the doorway to watch as Ansem stopped in the middle of pouring himself brandy to look at the grandfather clock next to his window.

“Thirty minutes past the first hour of morning.” He said flatly, “How punctual of you, my dear nephew.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Riku snarled, grabbing the man’s shoulder to turn him around, and Ansem merely smirked when he shoved the broken keepsake in the man’s face. “Miss Kanga’s soup kitchen—the orphanage down Herald Street—did those not mean _anything_ to you?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re on about.” Ansem replied, prying the keepsake out of Riku’s hand to let it drop to the floor. His hand easily laced fingers with Riku’s, and he kissed his knuckles, smirking when he saw the younger man visibly shudder. “However, I am glad to see you safe once again. And without a ransom this time—did you manage to escape Captain Sora’s clutches?”

“Cut it out,” Riku snatched his hand away from the man. “Those were innocent civilians, they didn’t have _anything_ to do with Captain Sora!”

“Nothing to do with him?” Ansem grinned, “Why, Riku, they have _everything_ to do with him! Didn’t you hear, my dear? Captain Sora is now arrested thanks to them!”

Riku faltered at that, and his smirk widened.

“Of course, I rewarded them with the doubloons they asked for in exchange for that pirate’s head. What’s a few burnt buildings if it was for the betterment of Port Royal?”

Riku looked down at the broken keepsake on the floor. He _knew_ Kanga was a good person, he knew Sora wouldn’t help those who were corrupt like his uncle and the rest of the guardsmen were, but…

Would doubloons be enough to tear all that apart?

He looked up at Ansem, who was still smirking down at him.

Well, whatever the reasons, he thought, he was still a public official, and those two places were things the public sorely needed.

“Well, now with that out of the way,” he forced himself to sound nonchalant, but his blood was thundering in his ears out of worry for Sora, “You _will_ rebuild the soup kitchen and the orphanage, right?”

“Why so? Can’t Miss Kanga do that herself?”

Riku grit his teeth, and tried again. “Because, Uncle, the damage _was_ caused thanks to government activity. We hold the civil right to rebuild those two places to satisfaction.”

For the people of Port Royal, he thought.

“My boy, we don’t owe them _anything_ after capturing Captain Sora.” Ansem crossed his arms, but he was smirking, as if he already knew what Riku was thinking. “Unless you have some form of compromise?”

He stepped forward, and took Riku’s chin tenderly.

“You know what I want,” Riku forced himself to stay still, even if his voice wasn’t, as Ansem’s hand moved to cup his cheek. “And I know what you want. I see no reason why we shouldn’t meet in the middle for this.”

“Well, well, well.” The man practically purred, “Perhaps you _are_ learning the tricks of the trade.”

“Bet you’re feeling pretty proud of that.” Riku replied flatly, and the man laughed.

“ _Immensely._ ” He replied. “Reconstruction will begin tomorrow.”

Riku heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Uncle.”

“As payment, you are not to leave the house.” Ansem continued, and Riku flinched. “Not to leave my side when I am here, and when your father returns, you will concede to everything I have to say.”

Ansem twirled a lock of Riku’s hair between his fingers, smirking triumphantly.

“Am I clear?”

“Crystal.” Riku replied, squeezing his eyes shut when the man hugged him close.

“Excellent,” he rumbled, “Soon, Captain Sora will hang, and you can finally be free of that indomitable vermin.”

Riku stiffened up, and tried not to let the quiver in his voice sound too much. “When?”

“Tomorrow.” Ansem leered, “And I’ll even let you watch him die.”

Tomorrow, Riku thought. He only had so long left to save him.

Sora saved him countless times before—now, it was _his_ turn to return the favour.

* * *

“ _Just don’t forget—I’m always with you._ ”

Sora’s words rang in his ear as he rolled out of bed, his shirt and trousers creased to high heaven. He looked down at his hand, and winced at the sight of the ring Ansem had put on his finger.

To any passerby, it was a lovely little thing—gold, with an amethyst crystal right in the middle, and it suited Riku’s pale skin, sitting pretty on his left ring finger. A lovely engagement ring, really, one that could fetch a fine fortune if sold.

To Riku, this wasn’t anything like that—to Riku, it was a cuff, heavy and imposing, binding him to the one man he couldn’t _stand_ being around with.

He reached for his ear, smiling slightly when he felt his earring still there.

Now, Sora’s gift—that was another thing entirely.

He took it off as he walked to the windowsill, fear worrying at his gut as he caressed it gently with his thumb.

“This _has_ to work, it has to…” Riku shut his eyes, and thought of Sora. The last time he tried this, it was on a whim, and he didn’t even know if the messenger would come.

But he _had_ to hope.

“Sora… Sora, I need you. Please, let me talk to you again.”

Cooing caught his attention, and he opened his eyes to see the messenger pigeon blinking at him curiously from the windowsill. Riku’s eyes welled up with tears, and he laughed incredulously.

“You’re here.” He breathed, and the bird bowed its head. He jolted, and looked around. “A-a message. Right.”

It cooed again, and Riku realised there was a piece of paper tied to its leg. He took it from the bird, and he was surprised to see it blank.

“Did you… is this for me?” He asked, and the bird lowered its head again. Riku steeled his expression, and nodded, quickly writing his message down before turning back to the bird. “Okay, um… hold still.” Biting his lip, he tied his message to its leg. “You have to find him, okay? I know you could find him wherever he’s gone off to, so I’m counting on you.”

The bird cooed, rubbing its head on Riku’s palm, and the young man smiled.

“Go on, buddy.” He murmured, picking it up gently. “Go find Sora.”

He let it fly, and much to his surprise, the pigeon shifted into a grey paper crane, soaring high into the sky before turning into a stone, dropping down quickly towards the ground.

Riku couldn’t help but shout in alarm, and behind him, his uncle stirred awake.

“Riku?” He asked, and the young man’s heart shot to his throat.

“G-good morning,” he said, turning around to watch Ansem sit up in bed, wincing at the sunlight streaming into the window. “I just—I—” He looked outside, and finally lost where Sora’s pigeon—paper crane?— _rock?_ —went.

Ansem raised an eyebrow at him, and headed over to Riku’s side to look out the window.

“What?”

“A pigeon… ran into a window.” Riku said weakly, “I… I got surprised.”

“How peculiar.” Ansem smirked. “Perhaps it is the world celebrating Sora’s death this evening.” He wrapped his arm around Riku’s waist, and the young man shivered. “Off to breakfast for us.” he said, “And then to your room with you. I still have to oversee the rebuilding of Miss Kanga’s home.”

He kissed Riku’s hair.

“Just for you.”

“Thank you, Uncle.” Riku replied flatly. “Let’s…” he cast one last glance at the window, and shook his head. “Let’s go.”

* * *

“Being in prison is boring…” Sora complained, “Am I not even allowed to have roomates?”

Outside, the two guards remained stoic, though the younger of the two peered nervously at Sora. The pirate gave him a wide, friendly grin, and with a small squeak of alarm, the soldier looked away from him again. Sora pouted, and looked down at his bound hands.

They used chains and a lock, a large one that sat at the foot of the rickety cot he was sitting on, tethering him to the bed.

Easy escape, he thought. How upsetting.

He looked at the tiny square of a window he had inside the cell, and he lit up at the sight of a small mouse peering in, a message caught between its teeth.

Its fur was greyish-silver. Sora knew who this was from.

If it was auburn, it was from Kairi. Bluish, if it was Donald. Black, if it was Goofy.

This beautiful, shimmering silver mouse—this was Riku.

Well, _now_ he had a reason to try breaking out—

_Riku needed him._

Nodding to himself, he took note of how the chains wrapped around his hands.

“One tug here, one loop there…” he muttered, turning his hands over to view the rest. “Oh, that’s it.”

His mumbling got the attention of the older guard, at last.

“What’re you doing there?” He snapped, and Sora grinned at him brightly.

“Just taking a look at how I’ll take these chains off.” He said, and the man glowered at him.

“We’ve used the finest lock in the land, boy. And the hardest chains. There’s no way on God’s green earth you’ll be able to get out of those without a key.”

“Ah, but there we have the problem,” Sora snickered, “I _do_ have a key.”

“Whaddaya me—”

The man never finished his sentence, when Sora summoned his Keyblade to his hand, and raised it.

“Sleep!” He called, and a burst of magic surrounded him, passing over the soldiers. Immediately the two men crumpled to the ground, fast asleep, and Sora smiled at them sheepishly. “Really, you guys had better luck tying me up with _rope_ than chains.”

He shook his head and freed himself, shaking out his wrists.

He held his hand up to the mouse, and it leapt into his hand, dropping the letter into his hand before transforming into another Keyblade. He smiled as he let it disappear into a burst of light, and he looked at the letter.

_You’ll be hanged this evening. Please come find me in my room, and let’s run away together._

Sora smiled, and held the letter to his lips.

Riku didn’t give up on him, even after all that. Somehow, it gave him strength to do the same.

“I’m coming, Riku,” he murmured, summoning a portal of light.

* * *

Riku’s head immediately shot up from the book he was pretending to read when he heard a strange noise, like wisping wind, and he felt a gentle wind brush his skin. His eyes widened at the sight of a ball of light grow to the height of a person, and Sora stepped through.

“Sora,” he breathed, throwing aside his book to hurry towards him, and as the portal disappeared, Sora’s lips curled up into a smile that pressed against Riku’s as he came close.

“Riku.” Sora hummed pleasantly, rubbing their foreheads together. They pulled apart, and he jolted when he saw tears in Riku’s eyes. “Oh, Riku…” He sighed, cupping the man’s cheek in his hand. “What’s wrong? Did you really think I was gonna—”

“ _Yes,_ ” Riku said, bitterly wiping at his eyes, and Sora deflated. “I _know_ you’re capable of amazing things, but I don’t think someone as amazing as you could cheat even _death._ ”

“I’m not going to die,” Sora said, and it felt like he left the rest of the sentence out. Riku bit his lip, and he shook his head. “Riku, do you really want to run away?”

“I…” he hesitated, and he balled his hands into fists. “I can’t.”

Sora smiled. “This is for Kanga and those orphans, isn’t it?”

Riku flinched, and he looked like he’d been slapped. Sora cocked his head at him, and Riku took Sora’s hand, holding it to his cheek.

“I’m sorry. I…” He took a shaky breath, and showed Sora the ring on his finger. Sora looked at it impassively, and fear churned in Riku’s gut. “I did something terrible. I—I,” He steeled himself, “I gave myself to Ansem to make him rebuild Miss Kanga’s soup kitchen, a-and the orphanage.” He pulled away from Sora, shame burning his cheeks. “I-I don’t deserve you. You don’t deserve _this_ —”

“Riku,” Sora kissed him tenderly again, and Riku looked at him pleadingly. “That’s incredibly noble of you. And listen—nothing’s changed. Whatever it is he’s done to you, you’re still important to me, and whatever it is you’ve done doesn’t change how much I love you.”

Riku’s chest felt tight. “I love you,” he echoed, “I don’t think I’ve ever managed to tell you, Sora, but I love you.”

Sora’s smile held something far heavier than words could say. “Not this lifetime, no.”

His eyes were shimmering with tears unshed, wide and full of _meaning,_ and Riku couldn’t understand a single thing.

 _Too late,_ his mind whispered, and he shook his head.

“I don’t—I _can’t_ understand what you’re trying to tell me.” He said haltingly, “Sora, what happened between us? Why are things,” he made a frustrated gesture with his hands, “ _Like this?_ ”

Sora shook his head, and pulled closer to nose tenderly at Riku’s chin.

“Tell me what you see.” He said, softly, and for a moment, [Riku could see a beautiful, colourful world blossoming behind his eyelids—one dotted with flowers and swirling whirlwinds of petals](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14749472). A tear rolled down his cheek, and his voice quivered as he spoke.

“I don’t know.” He whispered, “I don’t—I don’t know. _I don’t understand anything._ ”

Sora’s smile was sad, and he sniffled softly, wiping at his eyes as his own tears rolled down his cheeks.

“You and me both, Riku.” He said, and much to Riku’s shock, dissolved into tears. “Y-you… you and me both.”

It was shocking, really, to see such a powerful, notorious pirate bursting into tears in front of him. Something tugged at his heart, a memory of a little crying boy under the shower of stars streaking across a clear blue sky.

“ _What if the stars hit the island?_ ”

“ _Then I’ll protect you, I promise._ ”

[The glimmer of silver, in the shape of a crown, pressed over his heart, and Riku’s eyes shot down to the crown against Sora’s heart.](https://steam-whistler-art.tumblr.com/post/172763120817/lets-talk-about-soras-necklace)

“Sora,” he breathed, he hugged Sora close. “I…”

“ _What if the stars hit the island?_ ”

He shut his eyes. “I’ve been seeing… things.” He confessed, and in his arms, Sora stiffened up. “I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know _why_ this is happening, but it all started with you.”

He pulled away from Sora to thumb away at the tears that had rolled down his cheeks as an incessant pain began throbbing in his head. He winced, but he held on.

“I remember… a time when stars fell over an island, and I promised you I would protect you.” He said, and looked down at Sora’s necklace. “And then I gave you that.”

“Oh, my god…”

“I-I remember bits and pieces of a life I never knew I had. You and Kairi were there—we were children on an island, in a tower in the middle of nowhere, in a world that had no sun but a beach that stretched on so far I didn’t know how it would end?” He shook his head, wincing as the pain grew stronger. “Magic? A star-shaped fruit?”

“Riku, you…” Sora breathed, and he grasped Riku’s hand. “You remember.”

“I _don’t._ ” Riku hissed, shaking his head. “I don’t understand anything at all, I don’t—”

“Open your heart, listen to what your memories are telling you.” Sora pressed, desperation rising in his eyes. “Please, Riku, you gotta _think_ —”

The pain sharpened into an intense, piercing scream of silent sound, and Riku couldn’t take it.

“ _I can’t!_ ” He shouted, and a burst of wind knocked Sora back, away from him, slamming him against the wall. Riku’s eyes widened, and he gasped, quickly hurrying over to Sora to kneel beside him. “Oh, my god! Sora, you—”

“Stay back, you fiend!”

The door slammed open, and Ansem strode through, a hunting rifle pointed at the both of them. Riku froze, and instinctively he stood in front of Sora, shielding him from the man with his own body. The man’s eyes narrowed at him, and he jerked his head at Riku.

“Hold him still, Riku. Do not waste your life on this _scum._ ”

“You can’t,” he panted, but the throbbing in his head only grew worse. Still, he gritted his teeth and bore it, as he spread his arms protectively in front of Sora. “Y-you… you can’t hurt him. I-I won’t let you use me for this.”

“ _I won’t let you use me for this!_ ” his voice echoed in his mind, inside a darkened, crumbling castle, Kairi’s horrified eyes trained right on him.

“Then, _out of the way._ ”

“No!” Riku shouted, and a gunshot went off.

Behind Ansem, household help screamed, but Riku steeled himself, only flinching and not moving a single inch, and suddenly a cut blossomed on his cheek.

His braid slid to the ground, severed, and much to his surprise, Sora stood in front of him, grinning despite the pain that wracked his body from Riku’s blow.

“Thanks, Riku, but I can take it from here.” He said, kissing Riku softly, and Ansem bristled. He pulled away with a loving caress to Riku’s uninjured cheek and lowered his hand to squeeze Riku’s one last time. When he was at least a step away from him, he was tackled to the ground by soldiers that came pouring into the room. Riku was pushed back away from them by one of the soldiers, and quickly, they restrained Sora from neck to ankle in thick, unforgiving rope, and the brunet only laughed in amusement.

“Finally learned your lesson, have you.” He said, as Ansem approached him. “Guv’nor.”

“Your reign of terror ends _now_ , Captain Sora.” He snarled, “You are sentenced to hang, _immediately._ ”

“No!” Riku jolted, making a move to lunge at them, but two soldiers held him back. “Uncle! Don’t!”

Sora merely grinned at him. “We’ll see about that.”

“Witch,” Ansem growled, “I may never know how you escaped that one prison cell on your own, but I will _never_ forgive you for tainting _my_ nephew.”

Sora met his gaze evenly. “Riku belongs to no one but himself.”

Riku’s heart shot to his throat.

He turned around to look at Riku over his shoulder, and mouthed something at him through his beautiful, radiant smile.

Riku’s world screeched to a halt.

“Take him away.” Ansem jerked his head at the soldiers, “Straight to the public gallows with him. I want the entirety of Port Royal to witness their light of _hope_ extinguished.”

The men hauled Sora away, and Riku was finally left to slump to the ground, stupefied in shock. Ansem handed his gun to a soldier who took it away, and he approached Riku, kneeling down onto the ground in front of him.

He grabbed his chin, smearing his white gloves with Riku’s blood, and forced him to meet his gaze.

“And as for you… your crime of protecting a pirate warrants you no absolution.” He said, his voice cold and bitter. “You no longer have any power over any project the government has within Port Royal, and you are no longer allowed to leave the villa, ever.” He tightened his grip on Riku’s head, his expression darkening. “And you, tainted little boy, will never see the light of day, ever again. You _will_ stay here as a prisoner—as a _pet_ for all your life, and you will be _mine_ , until the day you die.”

“No wonder Sora’s in a hurry to die first.” Riku replied, eerily calmly, and the man growled, throwing Riku to the ground again.

“Stay here,” he snarled, “I’ll deal with your wandering body later.”

He stormed out of the room, leaving Riku on the ground, and the door clicked shut behind him.

Still lying down, Riku looked at his hand, where Sora had pressed his compass and Riku’s earring into, dazed, as slowly, his world seemed to grow brighter.

“May my heart be my guiding key.” He breathed, smiling slowly, and in a flash of bright light, a large grey Keyblade materialised in his hand. Panting softly, he used it to help himself stand upright, as it whispered its name to him in a voice that sounded so foreign, and yet so familiar.

 _Braveheart_ , it whispered, _how I have longed for you, my liege._

“Me too.” he said, swinging it experimentally, and memories began flowing into his heart.

He wasn’t Riku, the Governor’s son, a prisoner of Port Royale, and a prime target for pirates infesting its dark, dreary waters.

He was Master Riku, Keyblade Master, one of the Seven Guardians of Light, and once upon a time on a warm, amber-light beach, he shared a paopu fruit with the most important person of his life.

* * *

“You know,” Sora said after a long moment, “This tastes terrible, actually.”

“Yeah.” Riku replied, and paused. “No wonder Destiny Islands doesn’t make these into drinks.”

The both of them laughed softly, bumping shoulders, and they sighed, looking down at their half-eaten paopu fruits.

“Now nothing will tear us apart, right?” Sora asked, his voice quiet, almost drowned out by the sea, and Riku nodded. “Even after the whole business with Xehanort, whatever happens, I—”

“Sora, I know it’s bothering you.” Riku cut him off, and Sora bit his lip. “We don’t know if it’s even true, that you’re…” He trailed off, and looked down at the paopu.

“That I’m Kingdom Hearts.” Sora whispered, like a final judgement passed down upon his shoulders. Riku, at a loss on what to say, could only hum in agreement, and he bit into the paopu, wincing as that tangy bitterness filled his mouth again.

Sora, as Kingdom Hearts. Neither of them could believe it, and yet somehow, it made perfect sense.

The paopu, somehow, tasted so much sweeter with that thought leaving a bitter taste on his tongue.

“Hey, we better save some for Kairi.” Riku said, and Sora jumped.

“Oh, you’re right!” He looked down at their pieces, and he grinned slightly. “Let’s have her finish it all off.”

“That’s mean.” Riku laughed softly, shaking his head, and he knew Sora’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. He held Sora close, and kissed his forehead. “Hey, Sora?”

“Y-yeah?” The brunet’s voice was quivering, and Riku tactfully said nothing about the wet patch growing on his shirt.

“Nothing’s gonna happen to you. Everything will be alright.”

His grip tightened on Sora.

“I’ll make sure of that. I _promised._ ”

Sora gripped his crown necklace, and laughed weakly. “I know you will, Riku.”

_And he did._

* * *

“I… died, that lifetime.” He said, striding over to the window, and watched the sun sink over Port Royal the same way it did in a different lifetime, a lifetime spent flying Gummi ships and chasing royal mice across time and space. “I died protecting you, Sora.”

Now, it was Sora doing the same, _this_ lifetime, and he wasn’t about to have any of that.

No— _this_ time, the both of them would be saved.

He looked down at the compass in his hand, and flicked it open.

He remembered this compass—the very same compass one Captain Jack Sparrow carried with him, the one that never pointed north, but instead—

The needle turned sharply downward, and Riku’s expression tightened.

“Sora.” He breathed, and turned on his heel to head towards the door.

He pointed his Keyblade at the lock, and it slid open, letting him run outside, making a beeline to wherever it was the compass pointed to:

Sora—the apple of his eye, the object of his heart’s desire.

* * *

The public gallows smelled like stale urine, blood and sweat, and Riku hated it here. He hated the fact several of Port Royal’s citizens treated death like a spectator sport, he hated the fact that people were hung for crimes worth far less than a human’s life.

And right now, he hated it, because it was about to take the light of his life away from him— _again._

He skidded to a halt in front of a humongous crowd, eyes wide at the sight of so many people there, and horror crept into his blood.

Were they all there to just _watch?_ After all that Sora had done for them?

A hand grasped his shoulder, and he whirled around to see Kanga, panic in her eyes.

“Mister Riku!” She gasped, “Please, you have to save him—Sora, he’s—”

“I know,” Riku felt a knot unclog from his throat. Finally, a friendly face. “Where is he?”

“I-I don’t know,” the woman shook her head, “But I saw the guards hauling a man in—that _has_ to be him!”

“Where did they take him?”

Kanga pointed at a shack near the gallows, a cell of sorts, and his heart leapt to his throat when Ansem stepped out, looking more smug than he had ever seen him. His blood boiled at the sight of him so _triumphant_ , and Riku made a move to surge after him, when Sora followed suit after him, tethered to a rope Ansem held in his hands.

Sora was still bound as tightly as before—thick, unforgiving rope around his torso, trapping his arms to his chest, leaving only his hands poking out from underneath the rope. Much to Riku’s relief, he held his head high, his expression unafraid, even as Ansem led him up the stairs to the gallows, and looped the noose around his neck himself.

Sora’s lips curled up into a smile as Ansem spoke.

“At last, captured before us, is Captain Sora, the terror of the Caribbean.” He announced, and the crowd jeered at him. He ignored the people, and kept going. “Finally, it is time for us to be freed from this wretched curse, this _witch_ and vermin, and live peacefully once again!”

“I don’t think so,” Sora said, his voice unwavering, and Riku’s heart ached. “You’re making a mistake, Ansem. You should know by now who the _real_ problem of Port Royal is.”

Ansem whirled around to glower at him, and Riku felt rebellion bubbling from his chest, and out his mouth.

“Down with Ansem!” He shouted in the sudden silence, and the crowd whirled around to look at him. “Down with Ansem!” He thrust his fist into the air, and like a bolt of lightning, the air filled with cheers.

“Down with Ansem!” The townspeople chanted, “Down with the Governor!”

“Riku!” Ansem gaped at him, “How did you—”

Riku smirked at him, and pulled the ring on his finger off. Ansem’s eyes widened, and Riku flung it at him as hard as he could, before summoning his Keyblade to his hand.

“Sora’s not the _only_ one with a few tricks up his sleeve.” He said, and Sora lit up, his eyes welling up with tears.

“Riku!” He gasped, “You—you—”

Pandemonium. The cheering crowd began to fight against the soldiers surrounding them, grappling with them for their bayonets, but all Riku could focus on was Sora.

“I remember _everything,_ Sora!” He called back, but Ansem suddenly growled, and unceremoniously pulled the lever that released the trapdoor beneath Sora’s feet. The brunet let out a gasp of shock, but Riku was faster, casting a Dark Firaga towards the noose, and the ropes that held Sora still, and Sora dropped to the ground, easily landing on his feet.

“Riku!” Sora had tears in his eyes, and he ran towards Riku, overjoyed. “You remember!”

“I remember!” Riku nodded, and he caught Sora in his arms, laughing in relief as he held Sora close. “I remembered my promise—I remember _everything_.”

He kissed Sora deeply, and Sora laughed, hugging Riku close.

“Thank god, thank _god,_ ” He breathed, “I made it. This time, I-I _made it._ ”

He pulled away from Riku, and cupped his cheek in his hand. “After so many lifetimes, I did it.”

Riku’s eyes widened. “This… isn’t the first?” He breathed, and Sora shook his head.

“No. For every lifetime I tried, and failed, you would never remember me the next time. I’m glad it got to be this one.” He laughed weakly. “I… I had a lot of fun as a pirate.”

Riku smiled fondly, and pressed their foreheads together. “Yeah, I bet you would have.”

Suddenly, there was a gunshot, and silence rang over the crowd. The chaos stopped abruptly, and the two of them froze at the sound of bayonets cocking.

Riku looked up to see Ansem striding towards them, sheer _rage_ in his eyes. They were surrounded, and the jeering townspeople had been pushed outward away from them, blocked off by more soldiers holding them back.

Still, neither of them were scared—not anymore. Not when they had finally found each other.

“Hey, Riku, do you think, in the next life, things will be better?” Sora asked quietly, as the bayonets pointed at them, and Riku knew the end was nearing.

“Everything will be alright.” He nodded, an ironic echo to a life once lost, and now found, and Sora laughed, burying his face in the crook of Riku’s neck.

“I’ll make sure of it,” he took a shaky breath, and the screams of the townsfolk, and and even Ansem’s enraged rant faded into white noise, and the sound of Sora’s shallow breaths pressed against his skin. He squeezed his eyes shut, uncaring anymore of what Ansem was saying.

“ _I promised._ ”

Gunshots rang out, and blood spilled across cobblestone pavement.


	2. another life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a preview, of an upcoming multichapter fic I'm gonna release this December for Soriku week!

“Riku! You’re home!”

“Yeah, I’m home,” Came his exhausted reply, but the bright smile of the little boy who served as his guiding star for most of his life managed to banish some, if only a little bit, of his fatigue.

All Riku wanted to do when he got home was sleep.

There were other things he could do, like perhaps getting some writing done with a mug or seven of coffee; or maybe some chores he’d been meaning to do, but right now, all the plans he had been making on the commute home dissolved in the waves of his exhaustion.

Now, Riku just wanted to sleep.

He ruffled the little boy’s hair, the same silver as his own and their father and knelt down to meet him eye to eye. “Hey, Dusk.” He smiled softly, and the boy’s eyes shone with glee. “You been good?”

“Uh-huh!” His little brother nodded excitedly, “And I cleaned up the house, too!”

Somehow, phrases like that uttered by children activated his flight-or-fight response, and Riku hurried into the living room, bundling Dusk along to survey their tiny apartment for damage. He knew Dusk was a good kid who meant well and did his best, but he also knew how much chaos five-year-olds could cause. Several hours at the nearby kindergarten for several draining shifts over half a year now had showed him exactly how much suffering even just a single child could cause in a single afternoon.

He’d had to cut his hair short because of that one time a little girl mistook her candy as hair clips. He still couldn’t quite let that go, even it had been weeks since it happened.

Thankfully, Dusk was a more careful child than other children were, and the apartment was mercifully intact. The pillows on the beat-up couch he bought at a coworker’s garage sale were a little haphazardly arranged, the indoor houseplants’ pots weren’t more broken than they already are, clay and duct tape and elastomeric sealant and all, and the TV looked like it was still working.

“Really?” He said, more relieved than anything as he patted Dusk’s head. “That’s amazing. You did great!”

Dusk lit up at that, and bounced on his heels. “That means you’ll come watch Meow Wow with me, right?” He asked excitedly, and Riku blinked at him.

Oh, that was right—he made a promise with Dusk about that. Half-awake earlier that morning before he dropped Dusk off at his kindergarten, he agreed to watching that show Dusk loved watching in exchange for cleaning the house up as best as he could. Riku couldn’t really remember what the show was called or what it was about, but he did know at the very least that Dusk really liked the fat cat (uh, dog?) mascot pet the main character had with him. Whoever he was.

It all started with Dusk complaining about how every time the two of them settled down to watch the show, Riku was either busy falling asleep, or already asleep. While he hated sleeping on anything he did with Dusk, Riku worked nearly 60 hours a week to make ends meet for him and Dusk. All he could really do was sleep off the fatigue—it was hard, living alone with a kid that’s practically your own, but Riku knew it was for the best.

For his, and for Dusk’s sakes, he had to do it.

Still, it really wasn’t fair to his little brother for him to be nodding off so frequently like that, and Riku could feel the shame coiling in his stomach because of it. It was because of that shame that he did his absolute most to make up for it with Dusk—he even bought that dog (cat?) onesie the boy had begged him for last Christmas.

Granted, it did use up more than half his Christmas bonus _and_ made him miss out on one of the Christmas parties of one of his jobs, but it made Dusk happy. That was enough, for him.

“Yeah, of course.” Riku nodded, laughing softly, and Dusk pouted.

“And you promise you won’t fall asleep?”

“I promise.” Riku replied, “C’mon. Let’s get washing up and dinner done with so we can catch the show before it airs.”

The little boy cheered in delight, and led their usual routine. Riku sluggishly followed him into their bedroom, where after he finished changing out of his uniform at a fast food restaurant and into a comfortable pair of shorts and a shirt, helped Dusk into his well-loved onesie. Together, the brothers reheated some Mac and Cheese Riku made the night before, and they settled down across each other at their small dining table to eat.

Quietly, but smiling fondly, Riku let Dusk cheerfully tell him what happened that day at school. He listened carefully as he could—while Dusk’s teacher, a soft-voiced woman named Aerith, told him the boy was an utter charm to work with, he knew he still had to keep an eye on how Dusk was doing. There really wasn’t much to worry about, based on Aerith’s reports and Dusk himself—he got along well enough with his schoolmates, and so far there hadn’t been much problems with anything. Still, it didn’t hurt to be careful. He wouldn’t fail Dusk.

Not the same way his family had failed him.

Riku and Dusk then went on to do the dishes, Riku handing them to the little boy carefully, with stern instructions to wipe them down slowly before putting them back in their drawer. While it was usual for Dusk to complain about housework, tonight, he was quiet.

Determined, even, and it warmed Riku’s heart to think he was doing all that to have Riku actually _be_ with him to watch this… Meow Wow thing. He had to meet Dusk’s efforts halfway.

When they were done, Dusk practically dragged Riku over to the couch, the man laughing softly at the boy’s enthusiasm. The two of them settled down on the couch, Dusk making a big deal out of arranging the pillows for Riku’s comfort, much to his amusement. He then busied himself with turning the TV on for the both of them, and tucked himself into Riku’s side comfortably when he was finished.

Riku ruffled his hair again. “Hm, you’re a bit diligent today.”

“Di… li… gent?” Dusk echoed, and Riku chuckled.

“Hard working.” He said, “You must be really looking forward to this.”

“Uh-huh!” The boy nodded, “I’ve always wanted to watch with you around, Riku! Sometimes I can’t answer Sora’s questions, but I know you can!”

The faith this boy had in him was astounding. It made something clog Riku’s throat, but he swallowed it down and plastered a smile on his face.

“Thanks, Dusk. I’ll do my best.” He replied. Riku had no idea who this Sora was, but Dusk was quick to hush him as the commercials ended to let the show begin. The moment the opening song kicked in, Dusk cheered happily as he always did, and Riku couldn’t help the warmth that flared up in him at the sight of it.

He was so glad Dusk was so much happier now, he thought. He wouldn’t trade anything in the world for this.

On the TV, cartoonish fields and clouds rolled by, and eventually a castle appeared in the distance. It then panned across a busy—still cartoonish—city, showing different people Riku didn’t recognise, but Dusk could name all of them before their names appeared on the screen.

It was oddly startling, really. He had sat down with Dusk a few times to watch this show, but with how little he knew of it, it became startlingly clear just how little attention he’d been really paying to this. And Dusk _loved_ this show. What kind of a brother was he?

Soon, the show panned to a lonely kind of house on a hill, and— _oof_ —Dusk cheered, throwing his hands up and smacking Riku in the face. The boy didn’t seem to mind, and Riku wondered why—but his answer came in the fact that that fat cat (dog? Both?) popped up on screen, peering at them with paws up on the bottom of the frame. It was making some cute hybrid of a noise between a meow and a bark, and was somehow licking the screen, as if it was the viewer’s face.

“Meow Wow! Meow Wow!” Dusk cheered, and realisation finally clicked in Riku’s tired brain.

Ah, right. The little pet-thing was kind of a main character. He had to at least remember _that_.

“Well, okay, yeah, it’s pretty cute.” Riku admitted, and he watched bemusedly as Meow Wow was taken away by a pair of hands, and Riku’s world skidded to a halt.

The cutest boy in the world flashed him a five megawatt smile, and Riku didn’t think he’d ever get to see actual angels walking the earth.

“ _Hi! It’s Sora. Nice to see you again!_ ” He said cheerfully, those sapphire blue eyes drawing Riku in like a moth to the flame, and his jaw fell slack. The brunet held Meow Wow close to himself like a cat, hugging it warmly around its midsection. “ _How are you all doing?_ ”

His cheeks dimpled gorgeously, and Riku didn’t know if his blurry vision was playing tricks on him or the guy had _freckles and he was so unfairly cute._

“I’m great!” Dusk answered with the enthusiasm of a child in school, and just in correct timing, the brunet nodded.

“ _That’s wonderful! Do you know what we’re going to do today?_ ”

You, hopefully, Riku thought, and beside him, Dusk giggled.

“No, silly, we’re going on an adventure, Riku!” he said, and the man stared down at his little brother.

He did _not_ just say that out loud.

“Oh.” He replied intelligently, and Dusk turned back to watch the show.

Today’s show was about sea mammals. Sora taught about how mammals could live in the sea, travelling to a conveniently nearby beach with Meow Wow before going on a boat piloted by an animated talking duck named Donald.

Riku couldn’t really understand what the duck was saying—the voice actor should _really lay off the quacking_ —but Dusk somehow magically understood him anyway. As they took off, Sora somehow lost Meow Wow, and Dusk didn’t seem too worried about it. Maybe it was an episode staple to lose Meow Wow somewhere in the process.

The boat ride went on as with any children’s show with rides did—not exactly conformant to geography _and physics itself_ —but they did get to various places all over the world to see sea mammals. And then things got _weird._

“He can _what?_ ” Riku blinked, as somehow Sora’s necklace made him transform into a merman, and Dusk nodded enthusiastically.

“Oh, oh! Sora’s necklace is magical!” He explained, “Sora can turn into a lot of things so he can find Meow Wow!”

“ _Let’s see here!_ ” Sora said, swimming as Riku expected a merman to swim, and he realised the brunet had a dolphin tail. Huh. That’s new. “ _Where could Meow Wow have gone off to?_ ”

Right now, Sora and Donald went to the Arctic Ocean, and Riku was sure the brunet should’ve frozen from hypothermia right about now, but he should really stop applying real-world rules to a freaking _kids show._ That, and Sora looked _even better_ shirtless. This was already his favourite episode.

“Over there! Over there! On the iceberg!” Dusk cheered, and Riku saw a black paw print on one of the icebergs.

Riku couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. It was endearing, really.

“ _On the iceberg!_ ” Sora said, as if he heard Dusk’s answer. “ _You’re right! Let’s go have a look._ ”

And so the episode went on like that, with Meow Wow leaving paw prints all over the place for Sora and his viewers to find and comment on, interjecting information about sea mammals in the most child-friendly way that it made Riku wonder why his high school biology classes weren’t that easy.

They met dolphins asking for help with catching fish, seals asking where the penguins were (but, Riku thinks, the fact that they were looking for the penguins to _eat_ and not to play with flew right over Dusk’s head), and orcas— _god_ , the orcas. Sure, Riku liked orcas ( _way_ too much), but so did his little brother, it seemed. Dusk now wanted a stuffed orca plush for his birthday.

Riku wanted that cute brunet for _his_ birthday.

Eventually, Sora found Meow Wow, before he immediately ran into some trouble with the antagonist of the story, a masked woman named the Red Witch. With some help from the mammals and Dusk’s input—his surprisingly loud “ _Wonder Meow Wow!_ ” still rang in Riku’s ears—he sent her flying off into the distance, and they all went home happily after saving the day.

Overall, a standard kid’s show, and while Dusk was happy and satisfied with the episode, Riku was left with an uncomfortable need to meet the cute brunet.

As Dusk hurried away to get ready for bed, Riku stayed to watch the credits of the show to see what Sora’s real name was—and much to his delight, he found that it was one and the same.

“Man,” he laughed softly, “I’m an idiot. _Of course_ kids’ shows use their actors’ real names.” He shook his head. “Sora, huh. That suits him—”

And he stopped for a moment, and continued staring at the TV to see the show’s title come up again, with part of the picture including Sora hugging Meow Wow with a bright grin on his face.

“Hold on.”

His blood felt like ice in his veins. That couldn’t be right—it _couldn’t be._

Riku hurried off the couch, turning the TV off without looking before he tossed the remote between the pillows haphazardly. He made his way to their bedroom, where Dusk had just finished brushing his teeth to get into bed to snuggle a battered old pastel yellow bat plush. Riku made his way to the bookshelf, and pulled out his high school yearbook.

“Riku?” Dusk mumbled, but too caught up in his thoughts, Riku didn’t answer him. Mumbling darkly, he flipped through the pages, until he saw the photo of a blue-eyed brunet grinning brightly at the camera, his rainbow-coloured braces bright as day.

“Oh, sh—” He stopped himself, and finally looked at Dusk, who was staring at him with his head cocked. Riku grinned at the boy uneasily, and looked down at the photo again.

Now he remembered—Sora was that kid who liked science just as much as he liked running around outside and playing sports. Though he was popular among everyone in school, he didn’t exactly belong to any circle of friends, and only that redhead friend of his was the one who really stuck with him through anything.

Conversely, Riku was one of the quiet ones, bookish and shy, who hung out at the library a lot, hiding behind his glasses and books. Still, he was part of the swimming team, and—

Oh, god. The swimming team.

He ran his hand through his hair, sighing deeply.

He didn’t realise that was Sora until he saw him again. Damn.

“Riku? Can we go to bed now?”

“Sure, Dusk.” Riku replied, closing the yearbook to get in bed next to his brother, cuddling the little boy warmly. They were quiet, but Riku’s mind was in a clamour, thinking about the cute brunet on TV, and if he would still remember him, years after high school.

Sora was a people person, Riku knew, maybe he would remember.

As Dusk’s breaths evened out in sleep in front of him, Riku thought about what would meeting Sora again be like. Would he still be the same person? Would he remember Riku? Would he remember that he was Riku’s first kiss that one drunk-ish night after the swim team won the championships?

Would Sora be happy if Riku told him he thought Meow Wow was cute?

Riku groaned, and hugged Dusk close to himself.

“Stop dreaming, get back to living,” he mumbled darkly to himself, remembering the last words their father spat in his face. “Sora probably doesn’t remember you, and it’s like as if you’ll get to meet him again anyway.”

Tomorrow he had first shift at the grocery store. He had to be up early.

With that thought, he fell asleep with a heavy heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you read that right, it's an AU (or is it really?) where Sora is a children's TV show host! Modern au featuring more characters than the ones I used in the previous fic, lmao. I even make a few callbacks to [that other soriku fic I never got to finish!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2536058)


	3. oath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora and Riku's first time, in this lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3c hewwo.
> 
> chinhands listen i can write nice romantic porn too ok the yiffing fic was just good fun i swears
> 
> anyway dedicated to myself because i wanted bottom riku fic but also to my friends who i love dearly ~~but mostly myself~~

“Sora,” he gasped, pressing the brunet against the wall, and he could feel Sora grinning against his lips.

“Bed’s over there,” he murmured, “Didn’t rent out a room for noth— _whoa!_ ”

Riku pulled him along hurriedly, climbing on top of the bed, and Sora blinked at him in alarm when he lay back against the pillows, cheeks flushed and legs parted.

“U-uh, Riku?” He asked, and the older man looked away, embarrassed, as he pulled out his hair tie, letting his hair loose again. Acutely he was aware of the way Sora watched his hair spill out onto the dark sheets, and the way his eyes dilated at the sight of it. “Am I—am I missing something here?”

“I-it’s my first time,” Riku mumbled, and Sora blinked at him blankly. “So, please…” he pointedly spread his legs some more, and Sora swallowed nervously. “Go gently.”

“Um?”

Riku felt his blood heat up all the more, and he forced himself to say it.

“Fuck me, Sora.” He managed, and hid his mouth behind his hand, as Sora gaped at him. “You really _are_ a pirate, if you needed me to be that crass about it.”

Sora finally laughed, shaking his head fondly, and he crawled forward, straddling Riku with a warm smile on his face.

“I got it,” he said, kissing Riku’s forehead, lacing their fingers together with one hand as he ran his other down Riku’s chest slowly, sensually, and the nobleman shivered at the feel of liquid heat running down underneath Sora’s hand. “I’ll be gentle.”

Sora kissed him deeply, and heaven felt so, so very close like this.

Riku gingerly wrapped his arms around the back of Sora’s neck, and the pirate laughed against his lips.

“I love you.” He murmured, and Riku felt his heart _soar._ Sora kissed him again, and Riku moaned softly as he felt his tongue run over his lips, prodding softly like a cordial knock asking for entry. Though he was embarrassed to admit it, Riku parted his lips immediately, feeling Sora’s chuckle vibrate through his skin like a warm, kind embrace. His hands slid up to tangle his fingers into Sora’s hair, and he shivered when Sora groaned softly.

“God, Riku,” the Lord’s name in vain rolling off his tongue was intoxicating, the way his hips rolled against his felt _divine._ Riku’s breath caught in his throat, and the wave of his exhale swept out a moan of helpless pleasure. Sora’s tongue slid right back in between his lips, and Riku flinched as it poked his own tongue.

He didn’t know exactly what to do. He wasn’t _sure—_

Sora pulled away from him, still smiling that beautiful, breathtaking smile, and cupped Riku’s cheek in his hand.

“C’mon, can’t play by myself.” He chuckled.

“I-I’m sorry, I just—” Sora cut him off with a gentle kiss, and when they pulled apart, Riku sighed wistfully. “I don’t know what to do.”

Sora’s eyes softened on him, and he kissed Riku’s forehead.

“Lucky for you, I do.”

His fingers deftly undid the laces under Riku’s chin without even looking, and Riku’s breath hitched in his throat as he moved down to his trousers. Sora gave him a wink and undid the laces there, too, before sitting up and straightening out his back, letting Riku get a full view as he pulled his shirt up and over his head.

Tan, seafoam-kissed and battle-scarred skin stretched over muscle glowed a beautiful bronze in the scant light that filtered in through the curtains, and Riku swallowed nervously as Sora’s muscles shifted with his movement. Sora tossed the shirt aside, and tilted Riku’s chin up to meet his gaze.

“My eyes are up here, sweetheart.”

Riku’s cheeks turned red, and he spluttered, covering his face in shame.

“I-I’m sorry, I just—”

“Riku,” Sora laughed, gently prying Riku’s hands from his face, and Riku bit his lip as Sora’s smile filled his vision again. “I appreciate it. Gives a guy a good confidence boost, y’know?”

Finally, a laugh bubbled from Riku’s chest. Incredulous, abortive and awkward, but Sora laughed _with_ him, and it felt so right.

“There we go.” Sora’s voice was warm, full of affection and _something_ that Riku couldn’t describe, but he felt his heart sing along with it, as if they had always been in tune with each other. “ _That’s_ the Riku I know and love.”

Love, again. His heart felt so _free,_ so _alive_ whenever he heard that, and it fluttered, a songbird trying to break free from his ribcage.

Sora pressed a kiss to his lips once, and rolled off him to pull down his pants. Riku couldn’t help but stare as Sora’s thighs and calves came into view, but on their journey back up the span of Sora’s legs, Riku’s eyes stalled on Sora’s cock.

He wasn’t even hard—at least, _not yet,_ he hoped, but he couldn’t help but flush even deeper. Sora must have noticed, because the pirate laughed again as he casually made his way over to the bedside table to rummage around in it.

“Like what you see?” He rumbled fondly, not quite looking at Riku, but there was a hint in his smile that told Riku that the pirate knew he was still staring.

“I-I, um,” Riku stammered, turning his head away to the sound of Sora chuckling, and his cheeks darkened further. “I hate to admit this, but I really do feel like one of those blushing young women in a bodice-ripper.”

“Well,” Riku squeaked slightly when Sora’s gentle hand on his shoulder turned him around so he was lying down again, and when Sora straddled him completely naked, Riku’s breath caught in his throat as Sora lifted a lock of his hair to twirl between his fingers. “I guess you’re not completely wrong.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Riku stuttered, but he shivered when Sora kissed the lock of hair between his fingers.

“You _are_ blushing.” Sora grinned cattily, and Riku’s cheeks felt like they were on fire. “But you know…” he leaned down, nosing tenderly at his chin. “You’re way more beautiful than any lady I’ve ever met.”

Riku huffed at that, letting out a small chuckle, and he rolled his eyes.

“Laying it on a bit thick, _Captain?_ ”

“Ooh, call me that again.” Sora grinned, and Riku burst out laughing. Sora’s grin widened, and he pressed their foreheads together, humming fondly. “No, but really. Your smile, it’s so beautiful. _You’re_ beautiful.”

“Something I have been told quite often, thanks,” Riku chuckled, daring to lean up to kiss Sora gently, but as Sora pulled away, Riku cupped his face in his hand. “But it feels different to hear it from you.”

Sora beamed. “Thanks a lot, Riku.” He leaned into Riku’s hand for a moment, holding it against his cheek with his own, and sighed deeply. “I’m… going to take your clothes off.”

“I-I have heard that’s a prerequisite to m-making love.” Riku’s embarrassment was palpable in the way his words stuttered over shaking nerves, but the warmth in Sora’s eyes made him forget about it completely as he grasped the fine linen of Riku’s shirt.

“Making love, huh.” Sora hummed, “I like the sound of that.”

He pulled Riku’s shirt up, and Riku could _feel_ Sora’s eyes on him, tracing the lines of his body the same way his own eyes had when he watched Sora strip. He watched intently the way his abdomen rippled in the shaking exhale he took, and the way his long silver hair spilled through the collar of his shirt as it went over his head, spreading again like water over the sheets of the bed underneath them. Blue irises thinned into a ring around dark, dark eyes, and Sora’s hand was warm—almost _burning_ —against his skin when he pressed his palm to Riku’s sternum.

“You’re gorgeous.” he breathed, and Riku shivered, turning his face to bury it in his pillow as both of Sora’s hands smoothed over his pale skin, now flushed pink just by Sora _looking_ at him. “So smooth, and clear…”

“A-a rich dandy’s skin, apologies,” Riku stuttered breathlessly, but he flinched when Sora’s hands cupped over his pectorals, giving them a firm squeeze, and he gasped, throwing his head back. “S-Sora! Th-that’s—”

“They’re big, huh.” Sora whistled lowly. “Sensitive.”

He leaned down to kiss Riku’s temple, an ironic accompaniment to the way he squeezed Riku again. The older man moaned, shivering in helpless delight as Sora’s palms rolled over his hardening nipples, and Sora trailed butterfly kisses down to his jaw.

“S-Sora, Sora, oh _god_ —”

The pirate’s lips were rough, a stark contrast to his smooth, smooth skin, and they brushed skin that had only ever been touched by one person other than Riku himself.

Ansem’s hands, on the rare occasion, did wander further than was socially acceptable, brushing the skin of his collarbones despite his protests. As Sora’s lips travelled down from his jaw, tracing the curve of the tendon of his neck, he felt the crawling feeling of his uncle’s touch being washed away, replaced instead with the cleansing light of Sora’s overflowing love that sank right into his skin. Riku’s hands balled into fists in the sheets as Sora kissed the junction of his neck and his shoulder, swiping his tongue into the dip of his skin in a slow, languorous swipe.

All the while, Sora’s hands played with his chest, as the young men in his social peers were wont to brag about with the prostitutes roaming around outside his and Sora’s window, and for a moment, Riku wondered if it really was as pleasurable for them as it was right now.

If it would be as amazing, if they had Sora on top of them, as he had right now.

“You’re… experienced.” Riku panted, not sure when he had run out of breath, and Sora lifted his head to grin at him. His skin mourned the loss of Sora’s touch on them, but his heart fluttered at the sight of Sora’s grin, warmth settling in his gut.

“I know a few things, here and there.” Sora replied vaguely, “But let’s keep going, shall we?”

He turned back to kissing down Riku’s chest, and Riku let out a shuddering sigh when Sora’s hands finally stopped fondling his chest to sensually run down his sides, feeling every ridge of muscle underneath his skin, the curve of his ribs, the narrow slide of his pelvis to his crotch—

“ _Sora!_ ” Sora’s name was a prayer, a chorused hymn of praise for a god that listened so very intently to his heart. Sora’s hands cupped over his cock, straining and weeping into the fabric of his smallclothes, and Riku’s spine went straight as pleasure shocked him to the core.

“Honest.” Sora hummed, and he held Riku’s face still as he leaned up to kiss him again. “I love that about you, you know?”

“Sora, oh, I—” Riku’s breath hitched in his throat again. Sora, and his declarations of love—Riku felt like he could die right there, with how hard his heart beat at the sound of it, and his cheeks were hot. “Please, I…”

“What do you want?” Sora asked softly, though his hand pointedly wrapped around Riku’s cock through his clothes, and the older man moaned— _honest to god moaned,_ and helplessly thrust into Sora’s hand as he threw his head back in pleasure.

“I don’t—I don’t kn— _nnh, Sora_ —”

Sora began to slowly pump him, and grinned. “Aww, you managed it before?”

“Sora.” Riku peered at him, one of his arms tossed over his head, and the brunet stifled a snicker behind his hand. “You said you’d go gently.”

“Sorry,” Sora chuckled, and kissed him again. “I couldn’t help myself.” He pulled back and grasped the hem of Riku’s trousers, looking at him one more time. “Ready?”

Riku could only nod wordlessly, and Sora pulled his clothes down, leaving the both of them bare. The older man’s eyes widened slightly when he realised Sora’s cock was now hard, just like his own, though not quite as red and angry, leaking with precum. Sora laughed self-consciously, covering himself slightly with Riku’s clothes, and Riku couldn’t help but smile at that.

“I’m glad I arouse you, if it helps.” He said, and Sora finally turned pink.

The brunet shook his head fondly, and set Riku’s clothes down on the floor with more care than his own.

“Thanks, Riku.” He said, settling back down between Riku’s legs, and reached for the bedside table. Riku’s head followed his movement, and he cocked his head as he watched Sora unscrew a bottle open, and poured out sweet-smelling oil generously onto his fingers.

“Oil?” He asked, but then blushed as realisation crept into his senses, and Sora had moved back down his body to pry his legs wider open, settling down comfortably between them. “Th-the inn is well-stocked, isn’t it?”

Sora’s smile was knowing, and Riku shivered as his fingers trailed long, languid lines of oil into the skin of Riku’s inner thighs.

“Well, we _are_ in the red-light district.” He said simply, and Riku’s cheeks burned. He kissed Riku’s knee, and the older man shivered. “Ready?”

Again, he could only nod, and Sora slowly slid his index finger inside him, up to the first knuckle. Riku released a breath he didn’t realise he was holding when he realised Sora had stopped, but he jolted fully when Sora caressed his cheek gently.

“Relax,” he said soothingly, “I promise, I’ll take it slow.”

“I’m sorry,” Riku managed, but he forced himself to relax, to let Sora in the same way his heart had invited Sora’s heart inside. Slowly, Sora inched his finger in to the second knuckle, and he let out a shuddering exhale. “Oh, _Sora._ ”

“It’s okay, I can wait.” Sora said, and much to Riku’s surprise, leaned down to press a kiss to the tip of Riku’s weeping cock. The nobleman gasped, twitching in pleasure, as at the same time Sora finally slid the whole of his finger inside Riku in a smooth, languid push.

“O- _oh!_ ” Riku threw his head back, his hair fluttering behind him in wispy silver strands, and Sora’s lips curled up into a smirk against the head. Trembling, all he could do was lie back as Sora took his cock into his mouth with a pleasant hum, and Riku balled his fists into the sheets white-knuckled as warmth flooded his blood, drowning out the sounds of his own moans and psalmic gasps of Sora’s name.

It seemed like Sora didn’t even need to _breathe_ , sucking pleasantly on Riku’s cock like a favourite candy, and Riku felt his climax steadily approaching, his gasps growing shorter as Sora languidly pulled his lips up his length with a vibrating moan. Pressure built up in his gut, and Sora slipped in a second finger, more easily than the first had gone in, and Riku let out a loud moan.

“Sora, _Sora, oh—that’s—_ ”

“Just the second, _god._ ” Sora groaned, and Riku dazedly blinked at him as he pulled off with a grimace. His heart shot to his throat, and he sat up.

“S-sorry, did I—”

“ _Riku._ ” Sora let Riku see his other hand, firmly grasping his own cock at the base, and Riku’s cheeks burned. It was as red and angry as his own, shining with oil and weeping, but before Riku could say anything, Sora pulled him in roughly with a hand at the back of his head and kissed him, hard.

He could taste himself on Sora’s tongue as the pirate slipped it in. Riku wrapped his arms around the back of Sora’s neck to deepen the kiss as he gingerly rubbed his tongue back, swallowing Sora’s moan as he barely registered a third finger sliding inside him.

Panting, they parted, Riku cupping Sora’s face in his hand, and Sora grinned at him.

“You’re so honest.” He said, “You looked so beautiful, I nearly came.”

“U-untouched?”

“Untouched.” Sora nodded, and kissed him deeply again. “I’m gonna try something.” he murmured against Riku’s lips, and before Riku could ask what, he crooked his fingers.

Like lightning, pleasure shot up Riku’s spine, and he threw his head back in a soundless scream, pulling Sora down with him as the pirate laughed fondly.

“Wh-what—what was—Sora, you—”

Sora did it again, and Riku couldn’t help the whimper that escaped his lips, instinctively pushing his hips into Sora’s hand for more, more, _more—_

“That was your sweet spot.” Sora said, kissing his temple sweetly, and he pulled his fingers out of him. Panting, Riku lay back and simply watched as Sora pulled his legs open, and he didn’t miss the way Sora’s eyes raked over his body hungrily. Still, where there was teeth there were lips in front, and the softness in Sora’s gaze soon shone through as he laced their fingers together on the bed.

“You ready?” he asked softly, meeting Riku’s gaze, and the older man swallowed nervously.

“I asked you to, didn’t I?”

Sora huffed, and shook his head fondly. “That you did.”

Slowly he slid in, his smile melting into a grimace as his cock was engulfed by Riku’s warmth, and Riku watched, rapt, as pleasure contorted Sora’s kind features into rough valleys and ridges, ones Riku wanted to trace with his lips.

So he did, leaning forward to gingerly press a kiss to Sora’s temple.

The pirate blinked at him, and Riku could only offer him a smile—

And he slid all the way in, a gasp escaping the both of them when Sora’s hips pressed flush against Riku’s.

Oh, he felt full. So, so _full._

“S-Sora, I—” Riku’s breath caught in his throat as Sora stretched him open, shivering as he felt himself so stretched out, so _open._

“You’re so _tight,_ ” Sora strained to say, squeezing their joined hands, and Riku’s heart fluttered in that small moment before he leaned up to grin at him. “Ooh, gotta say I feel a bit dirty, takin’ your virginity in a place like this.”

Riku shivered, and Sora kissed him deeply as he pulled out again, swallowing Riku’s exhale as he left only the tip inside, and paused.

“You deserve so much more than this.” He murmured, and slid back inside with a slow, almost agonising push, and with it tore a moan from Riku’s throat. He pulled away from Sora to press his head back against the pillow, drunk on pleasure as he felt Sora’s entire length breach him again, but Sora’s voice still rang clear as crystal, even as his blood roared under his skin, in his ears.

“I’d lay you down in silks, not cheap satin.” Sora’s hands were firm as the sheets beneath them were soft.

Out, again, slowly.

“Roses. _Candlelight._ ” His voice was strained as he pushed back in, and Riku’s nerves _sang_ with the sensation, his back going straight as Sora dove back in.

Panting, Sora leaned forward, and pressed their foreheads together.

“I’d have courted you with the grace you deserved.”

“Sora,” Riku was incoherent, unable to say anything else but Sora’s name.

“Deflowered you dearly, in candlelight and moonlight.” He continued, and pulled back out, still so agonisingly slowly, and Riku felt like he was drowning, but Sora’s grip on his thigh and his hand, his forehead pressed against his, the sound of his voice growing hoarser with effort and pleasure, was his lifeline.

Pleasure roared in his blood like a tumultuous storm, but his release felt like the eerie calm after, waiting like silver lining after violent grey turbulence.

“Maybe on the Excalibur,” Sora was rambling now, too lost in pleasure, and Riku didn’t want him to stop. “Maybe in your villa, right under your Uncle’s nose.”

_Oh,_ that sparked something in him.

“Sora!” He gasped, and Sora slid back in, pressing sweetly against that little bundle of nerves deep inside him, and the howling storm soon threatened to break. “I-I’m—I’m—”

“I’d make you mine, if you wanted.” Sora’s hips began to roll in and out of Riku, the speed slowly growing faster as desperation and the teetering threat of release hung over their heads like a guillotine. “Or I’d be yours, however you want.”

“Sora— _Sora—_ ”

Riku wobbled uneasily over the edge of nothingness, and with Sora’s hand in his, he pulled him down after him into the darkness of pleasure’s waves.

“I promised, Riku,” Sora gasped, “I made an _oath—_ ”

“Sora!” Riku leaned up to kiss him, and he came, the tightly wound coil in his gut burst in an intoxicating flow. His cum coated their stomachs, and he spasmed around Sora inside him, milking him hard enough to push him over the edge.

With a wince, Sora thrust into Riku one last time, and emptied himself into him, and almost immediately, the both of them collapsed, jelly-boned and sated.

They lay there for a long moment, basking in the afterglow as they panted softly, and it was Sora who moved first, pulling himself up off and out of Riku with a small grin.

“How’s that for a first time?” He asked, and Riku couldn’t help but laugh, kissing him lightly—barely a brush of their lips together—before lying back down.

“I don’t know,” he replied cheekily, “Don’t think I have any other experiences to compare with.”

Sora didn’t reply—at least not at first. He simply looked down at him with warm, fond eyes so full of an emotion Riku couldn’t place, and he wondered what Sora saw.

His hair, spilled out like liquid silver on dark sheets, some locks sticking to his sweating skin? Flushed, overheated cheeks and pink ears? His eyes, only a ring the colour of the aftermath of a storm, dilated the same way Sora’s were? His lips, swollen and shimmering wet with their kisses?

“You’re beautiful.” Sora said, not quite the answer Riku was hoping for, but he smiled anyway.

“You too.” He said, and meant it.

Sora’s eyes—blue, crystal blue, like the sky before a storm. His bronze skin shone with sweat, tracing lines of light over lean muscle that humbly hid great strength within them. His smile—oh, his _smile_ —

An arrow to his heart, straight from the Cupid’s bow that shaped Sora’s lips, and Riku kissed them again.

“Not expecting that,” Sora chuckled, “But I’ll take it.”

Riku huffed fondly, and Sora dropped down onto the space next to Riku, cuddling into him like it was the easiest thing to do.

Maybe it was, to him. All Riku knew, at least, was that it felt so _right._

It was endearing to see how quickly Sora fell asleep, and Riku let him, cuddling close to the brunet as well to kiss his forehead and to hold him as he slept.

“I want you for a lifetime, Sora.” he murmured, “I hope you know that.”

Sora smiled into the skin of his neck as he slept, and Riku smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear to god sora's meowriffic adventures will go live on december. please be patient, i love you. 
> 
> ~~also did you know i have lowkey carpal tunnel now eyyyy~~

**Author's Note:**

> so hi yeah please watch out for Sora's Meowrrific Adventures, a multichap fic coming this December during Soriku week (someone please tell me the actual date of Soriku week I haven't been on tumblr in literal years....)


End file.
